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: shower · chair · calf · straw · lean · bay · leaves · stock

  1. The ________________ market has crashed.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — shares
  2. shower — rain
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. chair — a leader
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. lean — to bend
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. lean — thin
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. shower — to wash
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. stock — goods

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