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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. face — to confront
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. band — a music group
  8. face — to point toward
  9. face — part of the head
  10. stock — shares
  11. drill — army training
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. drill — a practice
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. drill — the tool
  17. bat — the animal
  18. band — a ring
  19. chip — to eat
  20. stock — goods
  21. chip — for betting
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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