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 protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. kid — child
  3. tear — from crying
  4. court — of a king
  5. tear — to rip
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. stock — goods
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rash — hasty
  15. tear — from crying
  16. kid — to tease
  17. court — for sport
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. court — of law
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  24. rash — a series

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