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. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. race — humankind
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. fine — high quality
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — in cards
  7. stock — shares
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. hand — help
  10. cap — a hat
  11. fine — all right
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. race — the arms race
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. stock — goods
  18. race — a contest
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. cap — of ice
  21. shower — rain
  22. foot — a measure
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. cap — a lid

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