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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stock — goods
  18. chip — to eat
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bore — to drill
  21. chip — for betting
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. straw — to clutch at straws

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