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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. ground — the earth
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. fine — all right
  7. shower — to wash
  8. stock — goods
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. stock — shares
  11. ground — a position
  12. suit — in cards
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. suit — clothes
  17. kid — to tease
  18. suit — to fit
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. fine — high quality
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ground — crushed

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