ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: wake · bulb · vault · fan · chest · face · cap · file

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. vault — a safe
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cap — of ice
  7. face — to point toward
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. face — part of the head
  10. chest — of your body
  11. file — a document
  12. file — a tool
  13. wake — a trail
  14. chest — of your body
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. bulb — for light
  17. cap — a lid
  18. file — a line of people
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. face — to confront
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. cap — a hat
  24. chest — a box

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com