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 · bank · race · wax · field · face · content · rest

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. race — a contest
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — what's left
  5. race — humankind
  6. content — the amount
  7. face — part of the head
  8. field — farmland
  9. rest — a break
  10. wax — to grow
  11. face — to point toward
  12. field — for sport
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. rest — what's left
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. face — to confront
  17. content — happy
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. vault — in gymnastics
  21. bank — of a river
  22. race — the arms race
  23. field — a subject
  24. wax — in the ear

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