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. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — goods
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. spring — the season
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. club — for dancing
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. squash — the sport
  11. club — a group
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. club — for golf
  14. cue — a hint
  15. bark — to shout
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. cue — a signal
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. spring — of water
  20. cue — for pool
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. squash — to crush

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