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 120 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: cold · band · court · hide · bear · vault · pit · bulb

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. vault — a safe
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. cold — not warm
  6. court — of law
  7. band — a music group
  8. cold — an illness
  9. court — for sport
  10. bulb — for light
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bulb — for light
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. pit — a hole
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. pit — in a race
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. bear — the animal
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bear — the animal
  22. court — of a king
  23. band — a ring
  24. bear — to put up with

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