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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rash — a series
  3. swing — to play on
  4. shower — rain
  5. stock — shares
  6. shower — to wash
  7. can — a tin
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. can — a tin
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. stock — goods
  12. land — to come down
  13. rash — hasty
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. swing — music
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. can — to be able to
  19. last — to go on
  20. land — ground
  21. last — finally
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. last — final
  24. stock — a soup base

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