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. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. staff — employees
  3. stock — shares
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. staff — a stick
  6. net — for catching
  7. mug — to rob
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. stock — goods
  10. shower — to wash
  11. face — to confront
  12. club — a group
  13. pound — a weight
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. mug — a cup
  16. net — in sport
  17. staff — employees
  18. net — after costs
  19. face — part of the head
  20. club — for golf
  21. stock — a soup base
  22. face — to point toward
  23. shower — rain
  24. mug — a face

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