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 · pitcher · capital · stem · wax · key · chair · fall

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. fall — to drop
  5. fall — to drop
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. vault — a safe
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. capital — a city
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. capital — money
  14. stem — to come from
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. key — in music
  18. key — the most important part
  19. wax — to grow
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. wax — in the ear
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. chair — a leader
  24. fall — the season

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