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. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. snap — to click
  4. current — electric
  5. wax — to grow
  6. current — happening now
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. mark — a grade
  15. vault — a safe
  16. net — for catching
  17. net — after costs
  18. net — in sport
  19. stand — to bear
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. mark — a trace
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. current — of water

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