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: degree · vault · band · spell · wax · last · bear · nail

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. degree — from a university
  4. degree — an amount
  5. last — to go on
  6. spell — a short time
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. band — a music group
  10. spell — letters
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. bear — the animal
  13. band — a ring
  14. degree — temperature
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. spell — magic
  17. wax — to grow
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. last — final
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. last — finally
  23. bear — the animal
  24. vault — an arched ceiling

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