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: vault · mine · current · wax · race · clip · foot · march

  1. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — in the ear
  2. march — music
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. foot — a measure
  5. race — humankind
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. race — a contest
  10. clip — to cut
  11. race — the arms race
  12. mine — for digging
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. current — of water
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. current — happening now
  18. clip — a video
  19. vault — a safe
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. current — electric
  23. wax — to grow
  24. clip — for paper

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