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: bowl · vault · pound · current · foot · rash · stem · stock

  1. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  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. stem — to come from
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stock — shares
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. vault — an arched ceiling
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. current — electric
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. pound — a weight
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stock — goods
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. foot — a measure
  18. current — of water
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. rash — a series
  22. current — happening now
  23. stem — of a plant
  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