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: mate · snap · spring · cabinet · stock · game · vault · squash

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. Have you found your soul ________________?
  24. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. snap — to click
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. vault — an arched ceiling
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. spring — a coil
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. squash — to crush
  10. spring — of water
  11. spring — the season
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. vault — a safe
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. game — wild animals
  16. mate — a friend
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. squash — the sport
  19. mate — to breed
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. mate — a partner
  24. vault — in gymnastics

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