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: vault · prune · bore · ground · pop · stem · bulb · clip

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  24. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. stem — a stem cell
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. pop — soda
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. ground — crushed
  8. bore — to drill
  9. prune — to trim
  10. bore — to tire
  11. vault — a safe
  12. clip — for paper
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pop — to visit
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stem — to come from
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. ground — a position
  19. pop — music
  20. ground — the earth
  21. clip — a video
  22. bulb — for light
  23. prune — to trim
  24. clip — to cut

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