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: bat · bulb · trunk · clip · cue · foot · vault · bay

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. clip — to cut
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. clip — for paper
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. bulb — for light
  10. clip — a video
  11. bat — the animal
  12. cue — a signal
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. vault — a safe
  17. cue — for pool
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bulb — for light
  20. cue — a hint
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. bulb — of a plant

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