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 · bank · object · stem · present · vault · dip · chest

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. object — to protest
  3. stem — to come from
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. wax — to grow
  6. present — there
  7. present — a gift
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. object — an aim
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. chest — a box
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bank — of a river
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. bank — for money
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. present — the time now
  21. chest — of your body
  22. object — a thing
  23. vault — a safe
  24. chest — of your body

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