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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. The ________________ market has crashed.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. shower — to wash
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. fall — the season
  5. degree — from a university
  6. degree — an amount
  7. fine — high quality
  8. stock — shares
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. fall — to drop
  11. staff — employees
  12. shower — rain
  13. staff — employees
  14. club — for golf
  15. staff — a stick
  16. club — a group
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. trunk — of a tree
  19. fine — all right
  20. stock — goods
  21. club — for dancing
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. degree — temperature
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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