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. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. cap — of ice
  3. game — a match
  4. cell — a phone
  5. hand — help
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. hand — in cards
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. stock — shares
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. cap — a lid
  14. rest — what's left
  15. cap — a hat
  16. rest — what's left
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bore — to drill
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. rest — a break
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. bore — to tire
  24. game — wild animals

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