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: clip · safe · calf · date · trunk · race · dip · stock

  1. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. race — the arms race
  2. race — a contest
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. clip — to cut
  10. stock — goods
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. date — the fruit
  13. clip — a video
  14. stock — shares
  15. clip — for paper
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. dip — to sink
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. race — humankind

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