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 broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. mug — a face
  6. shower — rain
  7. mug — a cup
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. stock — goods
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. face — to point toward
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. face — part of the head
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. stock — a soup base
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. stock — shares
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. mug — to rob
  24. face — to confront

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