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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  6. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mate — a friend
  3. band — a ring
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stock — goods
  6. board — to get on
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mate — a partner
  11. field — for sport
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. stock — shares
  15. mate — to breed
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. field — farmland
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. band — a music group
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. rush — hurry
  22. field — a subject
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. board — a committee

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