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: fan · wound · mark · cell · court · nail · stock · vault

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mark — a trace
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wound — an injury
  6. wound — an injury
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. cell — a phone
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. court — for sport
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mark — a grade
  14. stock — shares
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. vault — an arched ceiling
  17. court — of a king
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. cell — in biology
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. court — of law
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. nail — on a finger

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