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: pop · root · vault · current · spring · chest · file · wave

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. pop — to visit
  3. vault — a safe
  4. root — the cause
  5. pop — music
  6. chest — of your body
  7. current — of water
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pop — soda
  10. spring — the season
  11. root — of a plant
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. file — a document
  14. current — electric
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. chest — of your body
  18. root — of a word
  19. spring — of water
  20. current — happening now
  21. spring — a coil
  22. file — a tool
  23. chest — a box
  24. wave — with your hand

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