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: stock · rash · rest · patient · present · march · vault · last

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  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 — a soup base
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — the time now
  4. march — the month
  5. rest — what's left
  6. rest — a break
  7. last — finally
  8. stock — shares
  9. march — music
  10. last — to go on
  11. stock — goods
  12. last — final
  13. vault — an arched ceiling
  14. march — the month
  15. rash — hasty
  16. vault — a safe
  17. present — there
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. rash — a series
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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