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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. track — a path
  3. stock — shares
  4. stock — goods
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. track — to keep track
  7. present — there
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. deal — to handle
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. present — a gift
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. track — a song
  20. stock — a soup base
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. present — the time now
  24. bat — the 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