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: coach · march · wind · press · stock · rule · bound · vault

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stock — goods
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. press — to push
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. wind — moving air
  7. march — the month
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. stock — shares
  10. march — the month
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. rule — a law
  15. press — newspapers
  16. bound — tied together
  17. bound — obliged
  18. rule — government
  19. bound — certain
  20. wind — moving air
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. press — a publisher
  23. march — music
  24. vault — a safe

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