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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. We're on a ________________ here.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. wind — moving air
  3. roll — a list
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bass — low music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. cap — a lid
  9. cap — of ice
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. hand — help
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. stock — goods
  18. stock — shares
  19. roll — a cake
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. roll — on a roll
  22. cap — a hat
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. bass — the fish

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