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. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. land — a country
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. land — ground
  5. last — to go on
  6. rash — hasty
  7. land — to come down
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a friend
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. stock — shares
  19. mate — a partner
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. last — finally
  22. rash — a series
  23. pitch — completely
  24. stock — a soup base

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