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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. spring — of water
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. toast — bread
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. spring — a coil
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. chair — a leader
  16. press — to push
  17. press — a publisher
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bark — to shout
  22. press — newspapers
  23. stock — goods
  24. chip — to eat

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