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: land · ruler · staff · jam · cue · stock · shower · lean

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. cue — for pool
  4. staff — employees
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. stock — a soup base
  8. stock — goods
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cue — a hint
  11. land — a country
  12. shower — to wash
  13. land — ground
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. cue — a signal
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. lean — to bend
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. stock — shares
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. shower — rain
  23. lean — thin
  24. staff — employees

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