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: vault · cell · shower · bound · hide · band · bulb · cue

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The light ________________ burned out.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. bound — certain
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bound — obliged
  6. cell — a phone
  7. band — a music group
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cell — in biology
  10. vault — a safe
  11. band — a ring
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. bulb — for light
  14. cue — a hint
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. cue — a signal
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. shower — rain
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bound — tied together
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bulb — for light
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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