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: snap · vault · capital · wind · calf · last · bowl · stock

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. stock — goods
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. last — to go on
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. wind — to turn a key
  9. stock — shares
  10. last — final
  11. wind — moving air
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. vault — a safe
  14. capital — a city
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. vault — an arched ceiling
  18. wind — moving air
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. last — finally
  22. snap — to click
  23. capital — money
  24. bowl — a dish

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