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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  16. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stock — shares
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. pit — a hole
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. pit — in a race
  16. degree — temperature
  17. stock — goods
  18. degree — from a university
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. can — a tin
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. degree — an amount
  23. foot — a measure
  24. can — to be able to

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