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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · rock · game · calf · fall · fan · field · racket

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. field — a subject
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. field — for sport
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. stock — goods
  11. fall — to drop
  12. field — farmland
  13. rock — music
  14. stock — shares
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fall — to drop
  21. game — a match
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. rock — a stone
  24. fall — the season

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