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: bass · mine · spell · vault · foot · stock · safe · clip

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. The ________________ market has crashed.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. clip — to cut
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. stock — goods
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — for digging
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. spell — magic
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. bass — low music
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. spell — a short time
  14. vault — a safe
  15. stock — shares
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. clip — for paper
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. foot — a measure
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. clip — a video
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — letters

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