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

Word bank: firm · branch · track · toast · straw · stand · calf · hand

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. track — to keep track
  3. toast — bread
  4. track — a path
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. hand — help
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. branch — a division
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. firm — decided
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. stand — to bear
  18. firm — a company
  19. hand — in cards
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. track — a song
  23. branch — of a bank
  24. toast — the most admired

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