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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. race — humankind
  4. race — a contest
  5. current — of water
  6. band — a music group
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. current — happening now
  9. branch — a division
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. stock — shares
  12. shower — to wash
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. race — the arms race
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. shower — rain
  17. vault — a safe
  18. spell — letters
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. spell — magic
  21. current — electric
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. spell — a short time
  24. band — a ring

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