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 120 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. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — side of the head
  2. stock — shares
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. season — in sport
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. mine — for digging
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — rain
  19. season — of the year
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. stock — goods

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