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: racket · bound · swing · suit · stock · calf · game · season

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. suit — in cards
  3. season — in sport
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bound — obliged
  6. season — of the year
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. stock — goods
  9. suit — to fit
  10. bound — tied together
  11. swing — to play on
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. swing — music
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. game — wild animals
  17. swing — in golf
  18. game — a match
  19. bound — certain
  20. suit — clothes
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. game — a kind of play

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