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 120 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: calf · ground · stock · game · clip · safe · fan · key

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. That was a fun ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. stock — goods
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. clip — to cut
  9. clip — a video
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ground — crushed
  12. game — a match
  13. game — wild animals
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. ground — the earth
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. ground — a position
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. key — in music
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. stock — shares

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