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: season · shower · wake · bank · straw · wax · vault · fall

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bank — for money
  6. wax — to grow
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. vault — a safe
  9. fall — to drop
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. bank — for money
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. fall — the season
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. fall — to drop
  16. shower — rain
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — in sport
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wake — a trail
  23. bank — of a river
  24. wax — in the ear

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