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: plane · lean · tube · saw · face · vault · bulb · snap

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I've got to change the light ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. snap — to click
  3. bulb — for light
  4. tube — a container
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bulb — for light
  7. lean — thin
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. face — part of the head
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. saw — the tool
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. face — to point toward
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. face — to confront
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. tube — the underground
  20. plane — a tool
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. saw — the tool
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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