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. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — the fruit
  2. drill — army training
  3. vault — a safe
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. degree — an amount
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. wax — to grow
  10. degree — temperature
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wax — for sculpting
  14. prune — to trim
  15. plane — a tool
  16. prune — to trim
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. drill — a practice
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. chair — a leader
  21. drill — the tool
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. degree — from a university

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