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: last · arm · leaves · lean · vault · wake · wax · roll

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. last — final
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. last — finally
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. roll — a list
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. roll — a cake
  12. wax — to grow
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. last — to go on
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lean — to bend
  20. vault — a safe
  21. lean — thin
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. lean — to rest against

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