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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  21. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. tube — the underground
  6. spell — magic
  7. vault — a safe
  8. last — finally
  9. lash — to lash out
  10. row — a line
  11. last — final
  12. season — in sport
  13. tube — a container
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. spell — letters
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. row — to paddle
  20. wax — to grow
  21. lash — a whip stroke
  22. last — to go on
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. season — of the year

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