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 124 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 ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. David sat on the ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The moon will ________________ and wane.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. swing — to play on
  3. saw — the tool
  4. swing — music
  5. current — happening now
  6. saw — the tool
  7. court — of law
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. current — of water
  10. current — electric
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of a king
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. mine — for digging
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. swing — in golf
  23. vault — a safe
  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