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: craft · wax · stock · shower · patient · mouse · saw · content

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  4. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  5. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. craft — a skill
  4. wax — to grow
  5. wax — for sculpting
  6. saw — the tool
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. saw — the tool
  10. craft — boats
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. stock — shares
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. shower — to wash
  20. content — happy
  21. stock — goods
  22. content — the amount
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. patient — a sick person

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