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: vault · clip · mark · stock · dip · calf · jam · cabinet

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. clip — to cut
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — for paper
  6. mark — a trace
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. mark — a grade
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. stock — goods
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. vault — a safe
  14. dip — to sink
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stock — shares
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mark — to pay attention

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