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: pit · stock · leaves · cabinet · vault · bat · row · field

  1. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. field — farmland
  2. pit — a hole
  3. vault — an arched ceiling
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. field — a subject
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. field — for sport
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. vault — a safe
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. pit — in a race
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. stock — shares
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. bat — the animal

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