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: race · jam · stock · leaves · pit · vault · kick · hand

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. vault — a safe
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stock — goods
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. pit — in a race
  11. stock — shares
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. race — humankind
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. race — a contest
  18. kick — in football
  19. hand — help
  20. race — the arms race
  21. hand — in cards
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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