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: wound · stock · march · roll · straw · vault · jam · root

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. march — music
  3. roll — a list
  4. vault — in gymnastics
  5. root — of a plant
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. stock — shares
  8. march — the month
  9. vault — an arched ceiling
  10. roll — a cake
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. root — of a word
  13. root — the cause
  14. wound — an injury
  15. stock — goods
  16. wound — an injury
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. vault — a safe
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. march — the month

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