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: wax · row · stock · band · vault · chest · wake · deal

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. stock — goods
  4. band — a ring
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. deal — to handle
  7. stock — shares
  8. chest — a box
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wax — to grow
  11. chest — of your body
  12. band — a music group
  13. vault — a safe
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. row — a line
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. chest — of your body
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. wax — for sculpting

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