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 116 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 · branch · straw · swing · key · stock · rash · present

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  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. branch — of a bank
  3. key — in music
  4. key — for a lock
  5. branch — a division
  6. rash — a series
  7. vault — a safe
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. stock — goods
  10. rash — hasty
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. swing — music
  14. key — the most important part
  15. swing — to play on
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. present — there
  18. swing — in golf
  19. stock — shares
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. straw — a straw man
  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