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 120 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: key · kid · foot · spring · shower · stock · wave · stick

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The ________________ market has crashed.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. foot — a measure
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. key — the most important part
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. shower — to wash
  10. spring — the season
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. spring — a coil
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. kid — to tease
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stock — goods
  20. spring — of water
  21. shower — rain
  22. kid — child
  23. key — in music
  24. stock — shares

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