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

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  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. staff — employees
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. object — to protest
  5. shower — rain
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. snap — to click
  9. spell — a short time
  10. mine — for digging
  11. object — an aim
  12. shower — to wash
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — a stick
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. spell — magic
  19. stock — goods
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. object — a thing
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. stock — shares
  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