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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  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. capital — money
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. stock — goods
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. capital — a city
  8. deal — to handle
  9. prune — to trim
  10. dip — to sink
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — shares
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. prune — to trim
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. vault — a safe
  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