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. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. When are we going to ________________?
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. rest — what's left
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. degree — an amount
  5. stock — shares
  6. land — to come down
  7. pop — to visit
  8. land — ground
  9. season — in sport
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. spring — of water
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. spring — a coil
  15. rest — a break
  16. degree — temperature
  17. land — a country
  18. stock — goods
  19. pop — soda
  20. rest — what's left
  21. degree — from a university
  22. spring — the season
  23. pop — music
  24. season — of the year

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