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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. stock — shares
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. rock — a stone
  5. key — the most important part
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. object — an aim
  9. race — the arms race
  10. rash — a series
  11. race — a contest
  12. key — for a lock
  13. degree — an amount
  14. degree — temperature
  15. key — in music
  16. rash — hasty
  17. object — to protest
  18. rock — music
  19. object — a thing
  20. stock — goods
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. race — humankind
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. degree — from a university

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