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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the button?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. race — a contest
  3. press — a publisher
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. ground — the earth
  6. ground — crushed
  7. stock — shares
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. bore — to drill
  11. ground — a position
  12. race — the arms race
  13. press — to push
  14. mark — a trace
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bore — to tire
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. press — newspapers
  19. stock — goods
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. race — humankind
  24. calf — of the leg

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