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 giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. chest — a box
  4. prune — to trim
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. sharp — clever
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. wake — a trail
  16. stock — goods
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. stock — shares
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. prune — to trim
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. prune — the fruit

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