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: fan · toast · cell · wax · vault · roll · root · wind

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  15. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. cell — a phone
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — moving air
  5. root — of a plant
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. roll — a cake
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. toast — bread
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. vault — a safe
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. root — of a word
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. root — the cause
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. roll — a list
  22. cell — in biology
  23. wax — to grow
  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