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: vault · bowl · bound · chest · cabinet · wax · bulb · tear

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. wax — to grow
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. tear — from crying
  9. tear — from crying
  10. chest — a box
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. bulb — for light
  13. vault — a safe
  14. bound — certain
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bound — obliged
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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