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: bulb · can · file · nail · wound · spring · cold · vault

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. file — a tool
  3. spring — the season
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. can — a tin
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — of water
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. can — a tin
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. cold — not warm
  14. wound — an injury
  15. bulb — for light
  16. file — a line of people
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. cold — an illness
  19. wound — an injury
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. spring — a coil
  23. file — a document
  24. vault — a safe

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