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: vault · mate · mine · craft · stock · pound · fan · current

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. stock — goods
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. mate — a friend
  11. current — of water
  12. craft — boats
  13. mate — a partner
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. craft — a skill
  17. mate — to breed
  18. current — happening now
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. current — electric
  23. vault — a safe
  24. stock — shares

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