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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. rule — a law
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. stock — shares
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. perch — the fish
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. stock — goods
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. wax — to grow
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. rule — government
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. wax — for sculpting

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