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: sharp · capital · arm · fan · stick · vault · stock · patient

  1. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — a part of something
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. capital — a city
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. vault — a safe
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. sharp — clever
  10. capital — a big letter
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. stock — goods
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stock — shares
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. capital — money
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. vault — an arched ceiling
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. fan — a supporter

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