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: key · bark · lean · fine · content · vault · clip · bulb

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. The light ________________ burned out.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I've got to change the light ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. vault — a safe
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. content — happy
  5. bulb — for light
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. fine — all right
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. lean — thin
  10. clip — to cut
  11. bark — of a tree
  12. bark — to shout
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. bulb — for light
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. key — in music
  21. clip — for paper
  22. content — the amount
  23. clip — a video
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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