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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. stock — goods
  3. mine — for digging
  4. spell — letters
  5. bear — the animal
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. saw — the tool
  11. spell — magic
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. rock — a stone
  17. stock — shares
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. bear — the animal
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. rock — music
  22. foot — a measure
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. spell — a short time

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