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

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  6. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. stock — goods
  4. vault — a safe
  5. press — a publisher
  6. capital — a city
  7. snap — to click
  8. capital — money
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. rash — a series
  11. press — newspapers
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. press — to push
  15. ball — a great time
  16. board — to get on
  17. stock — shares
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. board — a committee
  20. ball — a dance
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. rash — hasty
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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