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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. key — for a lock
  3. field — for sport
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. key — in music
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. lie — to recline
  8. stock — goods
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. march — the month
  11. shower — rain
  12. shower — to wash
  13. field — farmland
  14. bear — the animal
  15. march — the month
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. stock — shares
  20. field — a subject
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. key — the most important part
  24. lie — an untruth

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