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: rock · bowl · capital · vault · arm · coach · stand · bound

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  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. rock — music
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bound — obliged
  5. rock — a stone
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. vault — a safe
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. capital — money
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stand — to bear
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. bound — tied together
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. capital — a city
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. bound — certain
  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