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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. saw — the tool
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. shower — rain
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. tube — the underground
  7. tube — a container
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stock — goods
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. stock — shares
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. wind — moving air
  19. saw — the tool
  20. rock — music
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. rock — a stone
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. wind — moving air

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