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 120 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: chest · wake · suit · tube · can · shower · stick · stock

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. can — to be able to
  4. stock — shares
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. tube — the underground
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. chest — of your body
  9. suit — to fit
  10. can — a tin
  11. wake — a trail
  12. chest — a box
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. chest — of your body
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. suit — in cards
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. can — a tin
  22. shower — rain
  23. tube — a container
  24. suit — clothes

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