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: last · snap · clip · bulb · bore · cell · mark · vault

  1. I've got to change the light ________________.
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. cell — a phone
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. snap — to click
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bore — to drill
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. last — to go on
  14. bore — to tire
  15. last — finally
  16. clip — for paper
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. last — final
  19. vault — a safe
  20. cell — in biology
  21. clip — a video
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mark — a trace

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