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: toast · wax · drill · bark · pop · face · land · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. land — a country
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pop — music
  6. toast — bread
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. bark — to shout
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. drill — a practice
  11. face — to confront
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. land — ground
  18. wax — to grow
  19. pop — to visit
  20. drill — the tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. face — to point toward
  23. pop — soda
  24. drill — army training

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