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. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. stock — goods
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stock — shares
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. degree — an amount
  8. fork — in a road
  9. pit — a hole
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pass — a permit
  12. shower — rain
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. dip — to sink
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. degree — temperature
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. degree — from a university

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