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: patient · season · dip · bear · stock · present · calf · clip

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. present — a gift
  4. clip — a video
  5. clip — to cut
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. clip — for paper
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. bear — the animal
  15. season — of the year
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. stock — goods
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bear — the animal
  22. present — the time now
  23. season — in sport
  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