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: tube · land · stock · shower · racket · straw · firm · season

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Did you ________________ the meat?

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. shower — rain
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. season — of the year
  6. land — a country
  7. land — to come down
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. firm — steady
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. firm — a company
  13. stock — shares
  14. land — ground
  15. firm — decided
  16. tube — a container
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. tube — the underground
  19. shower — to wash
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. stock — goods
  24. season — to add flavour

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