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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · wax · charge · vault · race · last

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. The tickets are free of ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. present — a gift
  3. vault — a safe
  4. charge — a price
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. last — finally
  7. race — the arms race
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. charge — in control
  10. race — a contest
  11. last — final
  12. present — the time now
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. last — to go on
  15. charge — electricity
  16. wax — to grow
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. present — there

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