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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. spell — magic
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stock — shares
  5. fine — all right
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bulb — for light
  10. ground — a position
  11. spell — a short time
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. fine — high quality
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cell — a phone
  18. vault — a safe
  19. spell — letters
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. cell — in biology
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ground — the earth
  24. stock — goods

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