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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. track — a song
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. track — to keep track
  5. rock — music
  6. bulb — for light
  7. degree — from a university
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. cell — a phone
  11. can — a tin
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bulb — for light
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — goods
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. can — a tin
  19. degree — an amount
  20. rock — a stone
  21. track — a path
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. stock — shares

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