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 120 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 King held a masked ________________.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. spring — the season
  4. firm — steady
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. stock — shares
  9. spring — of water
  10. firm — a company
  11. game — a match
  12. saw — the tool
  13. stock — goods
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. firm — decided
  16. ball — a great time
  17. spring — a coil
  18. game — wild animals
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. hand — help
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. saw — the tool
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. hand — in cards

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