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 supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. pit — in a race
  4. last — final
  5. bass — low music
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. roll — a cake
  8. date — the fruit
  9. pit — a hole
  10. track — a song
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. last — finally
  16. bass — the fish
  17. track — a path
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. track — to keep track
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. roll — a list
  22. last — to go on
  23. date — on the calendar
  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