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 116 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: vault · spell · root · court · bulb · calf · kid · straw

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. root — of a plant
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. court — of law
  7. spell — letters
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bulb — for light
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. root — of a word
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. vault — a safe
  16. court — of a king
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. bulb — for light
  20. court — for sport
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. root — the cause

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