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: ruler · vault · kid · chip · race · wax · field · racket

  1. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. wax — to grow
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. race — a contest
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. race — humankind
  10. field — for sport
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. field — a subject
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — child
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. race — the arms race
  17. chip — to eat
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. field — farmland
  20. chip — for betting
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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