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: march · stick · mark · rock · vault · capital · kid · staff

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  18. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. mark — a trace
  3. capital — money
  4. staff — employees
  5. vault — a safe
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. march — music
  9. capital — a big letter
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. staff — employees
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stick — to attach or keep to
  18. vault — in gymnastics
  19. march — the month
  20. staff — a stick
  21. mark — a grade
  22. capital — a city
  23. kid — child
  24. rock — a stone

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