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. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I'll be taking the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. object — to protest
  4. can — to be able to
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. land — a country
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. object — a thing
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. tube — a container
  13. object — an aim
  14. land — ground
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. vault — a safe
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wax — to grow
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. tube — the underground

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