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

Word bank: board · dip · cabinet · tube · vault · wax · lash · stick

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. tube — in a tire
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. board — a committee
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. dip — to sink
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. board — to get on
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. wax — to grow
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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