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: stand · calf · bay · spring · hand · bear · bat · chip

  1. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. chip — for betting
  3. bat — the animal
  4. bay — a part of the sea
  5. bear — the animal
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. hand — help
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. spring — a coil
  15. hand — in cards
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. spring — of water
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. chip — to eat
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. stand — to bear

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