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 116 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. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. club — for dancing
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stock — goods
  5. rash — hasty
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. kid — to tease
  12. stock — shares
  13. kid — child
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. file — a document
  16. bank — for money
  17. file — a tool
  18. bank — for money
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. file — a line of people
  21. club — a group
  22. rash — a series
  23. club — for golf
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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