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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. land — ground
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. saw — the tool
  6. net — in sport
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. court — of law
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. net — for catching
  12. vault — a safe
  13. land — a country
  14. land — to come down
  15. stock — goods
  16. stock — shares
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — for sport
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. net — after costs
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. saw — the tool

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