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 moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. march — the month
  5. key — in music
  6. key — for a lock
  7. stem — to come from
  8. vault — a safe
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. key — the most important part
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. march — the month
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. drill — a practice
  16. march — music
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stock — goods
  19. pit — a hole
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. pit — in a race
  22. stock — shares
  23. drill — army training
  24. wax — in the ear

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