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 116 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: vault · squash · field · rock · tear · bore · leaves · wax

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. bore — to tire
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — from crying
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rock — a stone
  8. squash — to crush
  9. field — for sport
  10. wax — to grow
  11. vault — in gymnastics
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. field — a subject
  16. bore — to drill
  17. vault — a safe
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. tear — to rip
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. rock — music
  23. field — farmland
  24. leaves — to go away

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