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 120 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: stem · bowl · rush · court · fork · vault · cabinet · straw

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. court — of a king
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. court — of law
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. fork — in a road
  12. rush — hurry
  13. vault — a safe
  14. court — for sport
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. stem — to come from
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. stem — of a plant

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