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: sharp · vault · foot · kid · swing · stock · stem · bear

  1. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. vault — an arched ceiling
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. kid — to tease
  5. foot — a measure
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. bear — the animal
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. kid — child
  15. swing — in golf
  16. stock — shares
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. sharp — clever
  19. vault — a safe
  20. swing — music
  21. stem — to come from
  22. swing — to play on
  23. stock — goods
  24. bear — the animal

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