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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. roll — a cake
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. snap — to click
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. mine — for digging
  12. roll — a list
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. fine — high quality
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. row — a line
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. fine — all right
  20. row — to paddle
  21. vault — a safe
  22. stock — shares
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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