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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. track — to keep track
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. can — to be able to
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — magic
  12. track — a song
  13. spell — letters
  14. can — a tin
  15. wax — to grow
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. spell — a short time
  21. track — a path
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. vault — a safe

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