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. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. shower — to wash
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stock — shares
  8. tube — a container
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. object — an aim
  11. object — a thing
  12. kid — child
  13. kid — to tease
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. straw — to clutch at straws
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. object — to protest
  19. lie — to recline
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. tube — the underground
  24. shower — rain

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