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: stock · temple · mark · wave · hand · stick · shower · cap

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hand — help
  3. cap — a hat
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. hand — in cards
  9. mark — a grade
  10. cap — a lid
  11. stock — shares
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. stock — goods
  14. cap — of ice
  15. shower — to wash
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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