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: stock · present · wind · clip · calf · rash · land · bank

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. clip — a video
  3. bank — of a river
  4. rash — a series
  5. bank — for money
  6. land — ground
  7. stock — goods
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. rash — hasty
  10. wind — moving air
  11. stock — shares
  12. land — a country
  13. present — the time now
  14. wind — moving air
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. present — there
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. land — to come down
  20. clip — for paper
  21. present — a gift
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. clip — to cut
  24. bank — for money

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