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: can · vault · file · stick · rock · rash · bat · wax

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rash — a series
  4. wax — to grow
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. rock — music
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. can — a tin
  10. rock — a stone
  11. rash — hasty
  12. can — a tin
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. file — a tool
  18. vault — a safe
  19. bat — the animal
  20. rash — on the skin
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. file — a document
  23. can — to be able to
  24. file — a line of people

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