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. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. deal — to handle
  3. stock — goods
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mate — a partner
  7. mate — to breed
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rush — hurry
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. fork — in a road
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. club — a group
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. club — for dancing
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mate — a friend
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. club — for golf
  21. shower — rain
  22. stock — shares
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. safe — out of danger

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