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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  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. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. chip — to eat
  4. present — the time now
  5. swing — in golf
  6. present — there
  7. swing — to play on
  8. face — to point toward
  9. mate — to breed
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. chip — for betting
  12. face — part of the head
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. present — a gift
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. content — happy
  17. content — the amount
  18. mate — a friend
  19. swing — music
  20. stock — goods
  21. mate — a partner
  22. stock — shares
  23. face — to confront
  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