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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: stock · pass · wake · can · prune · shower · drill · spring

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  4. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. stock — goods
  3. prune — the fruit
  4. stock — a soup base
  5. spring — a coil
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. stock — shares
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pass — a permit
  12. drill — a practice
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. wake — a trail
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. spring — of water
  17. drill — army training
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. prune — to trim
  20. spring — the season
  21. prune — to trim
  22. can — a tin
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. shower — to wash

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