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 had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. last — to go on
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. branch — of a tree
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. last — finally
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. cap — of ice
  11. swing — music
  12. drill — army training
  13. vault — a safe
  14. branch — a division
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. swing — to play on
  18. cap — a lid
  19. last — final
  20. swing — in golf
  21. wax — to grow
  22. drill — the tool
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. cap — a hat

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