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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  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. cell — in biology
  2. can — a tin
  3. branch — a division
  4. plane — a tool
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. wax — to grow
  14. can — to be able to
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. wax — for sculpting
  17. bat — the animal
  18. cell — a phone
  19. can — a tin
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. vault — an arched ceiling
  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