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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. wound — an injury
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. wound — an injury
  7. firm — decided
  8. stock — goods
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. stock — shares
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. firm — steady
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. firm — a company
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. cold — an illness
  21. scale — in music
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cold — the Cold War

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