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: vault · row · spring · arm · fall · current · wax · stem

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. vault — a safe
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. stem — a stem cell
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. wax — to grow
  8. row — a line
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. row — to paddle
  14. current — electric
  15. fall — to drop
  16. spring — of water
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. stem — to come from
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. wax — for sculpting
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. row — a quarrel

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