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: file · shower · current · mate · cell · stem · vault · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. mate — a friend
  5. vault — a safe
  6. mate — a partner
  7. shower — rain
  8. current — happening now
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. file — a line of people
  11. mate — to breed
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. stem — to come from
  17. cell — a phone
  18. file — a document
  19. current — electric
  20. file — a tool
  21. wax — to grow
  22. current — of water
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. shower — to wash

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