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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. shower — rain
  3. club — a group
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stock — goods
  7. tear — to rip
  8. shower — to wash
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. drill — the tool
  11. club — for dancing
  12. drill — army training
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. bulb — for light
  19. drill — a practice
  20. club — for golf
  21. stock — shares
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bulb — for light

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