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 116 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 giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. firm — decided
  3. club — a group
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. perch — the fish
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. last — to go on
  12. firm — a company
  13. club — for dancing
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. firm — steady
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. club — for golf
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. stock — goods
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. stock — shares

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