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 120 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 · bulb · shower · pitcher · wake · bear · key · march

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. bulb — of a plant
  3. key — in music
  4. march — the month
  5. bulb — for light
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. key — the most important part
  8. march — music
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. key — for a lock
  14. shower — rain
  15. march — the month
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. bulb — for light
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bear — the animal
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wake — to stop sleeping
  22. wake — a trail
  23. shower — to wash
  24. vault — a safe

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