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: fork · face · lash · wax · nail · vault · prune · lie

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  18. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. vault — a safe
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. wax — in the ear
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. prune — to trim
  11. face — to confront
  12. vault — an arched ceiling
  13. face — part of the head
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. vault — in gymnastics
  18. fork — a garden tool
  19. wax — to grow
  20. face — to point toward
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. lie — to recline
  24. fork — in a road

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