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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. can — to be able to
  5. cap — of ice
  6. stock — goods
  7. spring — a coil
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. chair — a leader
  10. wound — an injury
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — a hat
  13. can — a tin
  14. pound — a weight
  15. wound — an injury
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. spring — of water
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. vault — a safe
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. cap — a lid
  23. spring — the season
  24. stock — shares

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