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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. vault — a safe
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. game — wild animals
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. face — to point toward
  7. land — to come down
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bark — to shout
  10. land — a country
  11. vault — an arched ceiling
  12. land — ground
  13. stock — goods
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. bank — for money
  16. face — to confront
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. bank — of a river
  21. bank — for money
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. coach — a trainer
  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