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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. branch — a division
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. stock — shares
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. stock — goods
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. row — a line
  12. row — to paddle
  13. root — of a word
  14. root — the cause
  15. game — a match
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. root — of a plant
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. branch — of a bank
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. arm — a part of something

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