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: bear · bulb · vault · bound · squash · snap · fall · shower

  1. The light ________________ burned out.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. squash — the sport
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bound — obliged
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. shower — rain
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. vault — a safe
  11. bound — tied together
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. squash — to crush
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. bulb — for light
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fall — to drop
  19. fall — to drop
  20. bound — certain
  21. bear — the animal
  22. fall — the season
  23. snap — to click
  24. bear — the animal

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