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 120 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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. dip — to sink
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stock — shares
  5. clip — a video
  6. kid — child
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. kid — to tease
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. trunk — of a tree
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. stock — goods
  22. clip — to cut
  23. vault — a safe
  24. clip — for paper

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