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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I've got to change the light ________________.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. shower — to wash
  3. ground — crushed
  4. bulb — for light
  5. present — the time now
  6. ground — the earth
  7. present — there
  8. bulb — for light
  9. stock — shares
  10. plane — a tool
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. present — a gift
  13. ground — a position
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. shower — rain
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. pitch — completely

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