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: ground · fine · wax · bore · straw · vault · swing · bulb

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wax — to grow
  5. fine — high quality
  6. vault — a safe
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. swing — to play on
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. ground — a position
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. swing — in golf
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. fine — all right
  18. swing — music
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bulb — for light
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. ground — the earth

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