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 ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. stock — shares
  3. rest — a break
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. rest — what's left
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. row — to paddle
  8. stock — goods
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. row — a line
  12. kid — to tease
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. kid — child
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. date — the fruit
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. mouse — 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