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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — to tease
  2. track — a song
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. pop — soda
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bore — to tire
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. bank — for money
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bank — of a river
  14. track — to keep track
  15. kid — child
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. bank — for money
  18. sharp — clever
  19. stock — shares
  20. pop — music
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. track — a path

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