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 had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  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. calf — of the leg
  2. cap — of ice
  3. cap — a lid
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bass — low music
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. last — final
  9. stem — to come from
  10. season — in sport
  11. season — of the year
  12. last — finally
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. bass — the fish
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. last — to go on
  19. cap — a hat
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. stock — shares
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stem — a stem cell
  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