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: vault · trunk · stock · racket · chair · cold · calf · toast

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. cold — not warm
  5. stock — goods
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. vault — an arched ceiling
  9. toast — bread
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. chair — a leader
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. stock — shares
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. cold — an illness
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. vault — a safe
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. trunk — of an elephant
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of a car

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