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: last · kick · vault · court · leaves · cue · stock · prune

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  18. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. court — for sport
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. kick — in football
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. last — finally
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. stock — shares
  13. prune — to trim
  14. prune — to trim
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. cue — a signal
  17. cue — a hint
  18. vault — a safe
  19. court — of a king
  20. leaves — to go away
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. court — of law
  23. stock — goods
  24. cue — for pool

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