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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. stem — of a plant
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. wax — in the ear
  4. last — finally
  5. spring — of water
  6. cue — a hint
  7. spring — a coil
  8. last — final
  9. stem — to come from
  10. wax — to grow
  11. spring — the season
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. last — to go on
  15. cue — for pool
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. vault — a safe
  18. cue — a signal

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