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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. ground — the earth
  5. foot — a measure
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. ground — a position
  8. stock — goods
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. squash — the sport
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pitch — completely
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. squash — to crush
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. stock — shares
  23. toast — bread
  24. squash — the vegetable

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