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 120 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: can · wax · firm · bay · cold · vault · staff · suit

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. firm — decided
  3. staff — a stick
  4. wax — in the ear
  5. suit — in cards
  6. firm — steady
  7. can — to be able to
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cold — not warm
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cold — an illness
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. suit — clothes
  20. vault — a safe
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. firm — a company
  23. can — a tin
  24. can — a tin

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