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: calf · kid · scale · last · stock · lie · arm · mug

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. kid — child
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. mug — a cup
  6. lie — to recline
  7. kid — to tease
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. scale — size or range
  10. stock — shares
  11. last — to go on
  12. stock — goods
  13. last — final
  14. mug — to rob
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. last — finally
  18. mug — a face
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. scale — in music
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. scale — for weighing

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