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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. stock — goods
  3. cue — for pool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. key — the most important part
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stock — shares
  9. vault — a safe
  10. last — final
  11. ball — a dance
  12. last — finally
  13. cue — a hint
  14. cue — a signal
  15. land — to come down
  16. land — ground
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. key — in music
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. ball — a great time
  23. last — to go on
  24. temple — side of the head

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