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 124 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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stock — shares
  7. last — to go on
  8. tube — the underground
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. bulb — for light
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. last — final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. last — finally
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. bulb — for light
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. stock — goods
  21. tube — a container
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. hide — animal skin

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