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 120 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'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  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. firm — steady
  2. stock — shares
  3. prune — to trim
  4. prune — to trim
  5. saw — the tool
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. charge — a price
  8. saw — the tool
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. firm — a company
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. charge — in control
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — help
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. firm — decided
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. charge — electricity
  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