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: mouse · bore · stock · spell · lie · snap · shower · stick

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. stock — a soup base
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. snap — to click
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. lie — to recline
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. stock — shares
  13. bore — to tire
  14. spell — letters
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bore — to drill
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. stock — goods
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. spell — magic
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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