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

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The tickets are free of ________________.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. march — music
  3. vault — a safe
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. foot — a measure
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. current — happening now
  8. march — the month
  9. rash — a series
  10. rash — hasty
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. charge — electricity
  17. current — of water
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. current — electric
  20. march — the month
  21. charge — in control
  22. charge — a price
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  24. foot — the bottom

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