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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. net — in sport
  6. march — music
  7. cell — a phone
  8. bore — to drill
  9. march — the month
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. march — the month
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. net — after costs
  14. lean — to bend
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. lean — thin
  17. stock — goods
  18. bore — to tire
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. net — for catching
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bore — gave birth

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