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. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. stock — goods
  3. cold — an illness
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. foot — a measure
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. stock — shares
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. wake — a trail
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. dip — to sink
  24. cold — not warm

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