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 · suit · trunk · saw · land · cap · club · shower

  1. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — ground
  2. suit — clothes
  3. saw — the tool
  4. cap — a lid
  5. cap — of ice
  6. club — a group
  7. suit — in cards
  8. saw — past of 'see'
  9. suit — to fit
  10. land — to come down
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. shower — to wash
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. shower — rain
  17. vault — a safe
  18. trunk — of an elephant
  19. land — a country
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. cap — a hat
  22. club — for dancing
  23. saw — the tool
  24. club — for golf

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