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. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pop — to visit
  4. chest — of your body
  5. swing — music
  6. stock — goods
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. pop — music
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bear — the animal
  12. last — final
  13. chest — of your body
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — shares
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bear — the animal
  20. last — to go on
  21. pop — soda
  22. last — finally
  23. chest — a box
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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