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: toast · date · jam · bass · calf · chest · fork · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. chest — of your body
  8. stock — shares
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. bass — the fish
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bass — low music
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. chest — of your body
  19. toast — bread
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. chest — a box
  24. fork — in a road

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