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: stock · bank · vault · date · cap · field · bass · cabinet

  1. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. cap — of ice
  6. bass — low music
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. vault — a safe
  10. stock — shares
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. field — for sport
  13. bass — the fish
  14. bank — for money
  15. stock — goods
  16. bank — for money
  17. bank — of a river
  18. cap — a lid
  19. vault — in gymnastics
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. field — a subject
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. date — the fruit
  24. field — farmland

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