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 120 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: lie · stem · stock · foot · cold · trunk · dip · vault

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stem — of a plant
  3. cold — an illness
  4. dip — to sink
  5. vault — a safe
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. vault — an arched ceiling
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. cold — not warm
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. stem — to come from
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cold — the Cold War
  22. stock — goods
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. stock — shares

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