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: date · mate · coach · rash · land · current · shower · stock

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. current — of water
  3. mate — to breed
  4. stock — goods
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — a friend
  9. land — ground
  10. stock — shares
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. shower — to wash
  14. current — electric
  15. date — the fruit
  16. current — happening now
  17. land — to come down
  18. rash — a series
  19. land — a country
  20. rash — hasty
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. shower — rain
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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