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

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. vault — a safe
  3. wake — a trail
  4. lie — to recline
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. mug — a face
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. last — final
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pass — a permit
  14. last — finally
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. last — to go on
  17. saw — the tool
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. mug — a cup
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. saw — the tool
  24. wax — to grow

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