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 116 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 · racket · bulb · sharp · object · cell · march · straw

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. He was locked up in a ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. object — to protest
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. bulb — for light
  5. vault — a safe
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. cell — a phone
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. object — a thing
  11. march — the month
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. cell — in biology
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. sharp — clever
  21. march — the month
  22. march — music
  23. cell — in a prison
  24. racket — a loud noise

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