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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. degree — temperature
  4. degree — an amount
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ball — a dance
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. stock — shares
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. mark — a trace
  14. band — a music group
  15. band — a ring
  16. degree — from a university
  17. rule — a law
  18. stock — goods
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. mark — a grade
  21. ball — a great time
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. rule — government
  24. band — a rubber band

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