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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. mark — a trace
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. mark — a grade
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. stock — a soup base
  9. fork — in a road
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. fall — the season
  12. stock — goods
  13. rush — hurry
  14. stock — shares
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wind — moving air
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fall — to drop
  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