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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. face — to confront
  3. stock — goods
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. craft — a skill
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. bank — of a river
  8. content — the amount
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stock — shares
  11. content — happy
  12. bank — for money
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. craft — boats
  16. face — part of the head
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. chest — a box
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chest — of your body
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. bank — for money

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