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. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. wake — a trail
  3. stock — goods
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rest — a break
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. roll — a list
  13. rest — what's left
  14. stock — shares
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. band — a music group
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. calf — a young animal

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