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: board · degree · toast · fall · stock · patient · vault · saw

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. degree — from a university
  3. board — a committee
  4. degree — temperature
  5. vault — in gymnastics
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. fall — to drop
  8. stock — goods
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. saw — the tool
  11. degree — an amount
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. board — to get on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fall — to drop
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. toast — bread
  20. saw — the tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fall — the season
  23. vault — a safe
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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