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 · wax · drill · firm · bass · chest · bowl · file

  1. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — the tool
  2. drill — a practice
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. firm — steady
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. file — a document
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. drill — army training
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. bass — the fish
  13. chest — a box
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. chest — of your body
  16. chest — of your body
  17. wax — to grow
  18. vault — a safe
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. firm — a company
  21. file — a line of people
  22. file — a tool
  23. firm — decided
  24. bass — low music

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