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. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. shower — rain
  3. stand — to bear
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. suit — to fit
  8. key — the most important part
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. game — a match
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. suit — clothes
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. suit — in cards
  15. game — wild animals
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. stock — goods
  18. shower — to wash
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. key — for a lock
  21. stock — shares
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. key — in music

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