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: tube · press · suit · rule · shower · wax · vault · trunk

  1. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  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. trunk — of an elephant
  2. rule — government
  3. tube — the underground
  4. suit — in cards
  5. wax — in the ear
  6. wax — to grow
  7. tube — a container
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. vault — a safe
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. shower — to wash
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. suit — to fit
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. press — to push
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. press — newspapers
  19. press — a publisher
  20. shower — rain
  21. rule — a law
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. suit — clothes
  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