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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. stock — shares
  3. shower — rain
  4. chair — a leader
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. shower — to wash
  7. current — electric
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stock — goods
  12. lean — thin
  13. current — happening now
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. ground — crushed
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cold — not warm
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. cold — an illness
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. lean — to bend
  23. ground — a position
  24. current — of water

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