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 · prune · stock · fork · arm · hand · bank · spring

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. vault — in gymnastics
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. prune — to trim
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. hand — help
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. prune — the fruit
  9. bank — for money
  10. bank — of a river
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — the season
  13. prune — to trim
  14. bank — for money
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. fork — in a road
  19. stock — shares
  20. spring — of water
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stock — goods
  23. hand — in cards
  24. fork — a garden tool

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