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: stand · wax · bark · foot · rash · fall · pitcher · vault

  1. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  15. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — to grow
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. foot — a measure
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. vault — in gymnastics
  10. fall — the season
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rash — a series
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. wax — for sculpting
  15. wax — in the ear
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. rash — hasty
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stand — to bear
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. fall — to drop
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. foot — the bottom

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