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: vault · spring · rash · object · craft · sharp · stand · stock

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. craft — a skill
  4. object — to protest
  5. spring — of water
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. stock — shares
  10. rash — hasty
  11. stand — to bear
  12. object — an aim
  13. spring — the season
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. vault — a safe
  16. spring — a coil
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. craft — boats
  19. rash — a series
  20. sharp — clever
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. stock — goods
  23. vault — in gymnastics
  24. object — a thing

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