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 116 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 pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. That was ________________ to happen.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. bound — obliged
  5. stock — shares
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. bass — low music
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bat — the animal
  11. bound — certain
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. game — a match
  14. bass — the fish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. bound — tied together
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stock — goods
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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