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 did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. object — a thing
  7. tear — to rip
  8. object — an aim
  9. sharp — clever
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bound — obliged
  15. stock — goods
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. bound — certain
  19. object — to protest
  20. mine — for digging
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. bound — tied together
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. mine — an explosive

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