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. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. fall — to drop
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. spring — the season
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. toast — bread
  16. fall — the season
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. track — a song
  19. track — to keep track
  20. spring — a coil
  21. spring — of water
  22. track — a path
  23. fall — to drop
  24. stock — goods

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