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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · chip · stock · staff · cue · snap · roll · vault

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  22. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. chip — for betting
  4. stock — shares
  5. chip — to eat
  6. snap — to click
  7. cue — a hint
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. roll — a cake
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. roll — a list
  12. cue — a signal
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. staff — employees
  16. vault — a safe
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mine — for digging
  19. staff — employees
  20. cue — for pool
  21. chip — in a computer
  22. vault — an arched ceiling
  23. stock — goods
  24. mine — belonging to me

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