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: band · kick · calf · stock · kid · temple · snap · pitcher

  1. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — with a leg
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. stock — shares
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. stock — goods
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. snap — to click
  17. band — a music group
  18. band — a ring
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. kick — in football
  23. kid — child
  24. pitcher — a jug

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