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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. land — ground
  3. vault — in gymnastics
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. march — the month
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. mug — a cup
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. mug — to rob
  13. march — the month
  14. land — to come down
  15. mug — a face
  16. vault — a safe
  17. land — a country
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. stock — goods
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. march — music
  24. stock — shares

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