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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. stock — shares
  4. wax — to grow
  5. club — a group
  6. stock — goods
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. bore — to tire
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. club — for dancing
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. game — a match
  14. bore — to drill
  15. club — for golf
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. can — a tin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. can — a tin
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. game — wild animals

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