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 120 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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. game — wild animals
  4. scale — size or range
  5. stock — shares
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. swing — music
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. bark — to shout
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. swing — to play on
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. scale — in music
  20. game — a match
  21. coach — pulled by horses
  22. swing — in golf
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. stock — goods

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