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: kid · date · calf · track · bat · bank · stock · wake

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. kid — to tease
  5. bank — for money
  6. bank — of a river
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. stock — goods
  9. track — a song
  10. kid — child
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. track — a path
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. bank — for money
  18. wake — a trail
  19. bat — the animal
  20. date — the fruit
  21. stock — shares
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. wake — before a funeral

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