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: wax · bulb · court · file · season · craft · coach · vault

  1. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. season — of the year
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. wax — to grow
  5. court — of a king
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. court — of law
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. file — a document
  10. craft — a handicraft
  11. bulb — for light
  12. craft — a skill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bulb — for light
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. file — a tool
  19. file — a line of people
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. season — in sport
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. court — for sport

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