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: fine · pop · last · vault · stand · fork · game · stock

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. At ________________, we arrived at the village.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. stand — to bear
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. fine — all right
  6. game — wild animals
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. pop — to visit
  9. stock — goods
  10. pop — soda
  11. stock — shares
  12. pop — music
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. vault — a safe
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. last — to go on
  19. game — a match
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. last — finally

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