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: bound · plane · bay · pop · drill · cap · vault · wake

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. vault — a safe
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bound — tied together
  7. plane — in geometry
  8. drill — a practice
  9. cap — a hat
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. drill — the tool
  12. cap — of ice
  13. plane — a tool
  14. pop — soda
  15. bound — obliged
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. pop — to visit
  19. drill — army training
  20. wake — a trail
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. bound — certain
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. cap — a lid

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