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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. stock — shares
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. band — a music group
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. ball — a great time
  9. clip — a video
  10. clip — for paper
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. stock — goods
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. band — a ring
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. hand — help
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. clip — to cut
  21. stand — to bear
  22. hand — in cards
  23. ball — a dance
  24. bear — the animal

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