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: trunk · chest · last · wave · bore · vault · suit · wind

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. wind — moving air
  3. chest — of your body
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. suit — to fit
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chest — a box
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. bore — to tire
  12. bore — to drill
  13. vault — a safe
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. suit — in cards
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. last — final
  19. suit — clothes
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. chest — of your body
  22. last — to go on
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. last — finally

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