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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. rule — a law
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. bat — the animal
  7. rule — government
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. ground — crushed
  10. stock — shares
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. perch — the fish
  14. ground — a position
  15. present — the time now
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. present — there
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. ground — the earth
  23. stock — goods
  24. present — a gift

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