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: vault · chip · cap · board · wax · rule

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — to grow
  4. cap — a hat
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. cap — of ice
  8. vault — a safe
  9. rule — a law
  10. cap — a lid
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. chip — to eat
  13. board — to get on
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. rule — government
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. board — a committee
  18. chip — for betting

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