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: content · race · calf · wax · racket · vault · scale · bound

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. wax — in the ear
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. wax — to grow
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. vault — a safe
  11. content — the amount
  12. scale — size or range
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. content — happy
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — obliged
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. race — a contest
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. bound — tied together
  21. scale — in music
  22. race — the arms race
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. race — humankind

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