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: patient · band · drill · cap · wake · swing · shower · stock

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  4. The ________________ market has crashed.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. band — a ring
  4. stock — shares
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. swing — in golf
  8. shower — rain
  9. swing — music
  10. wake — a trail
  11. cap — a hat
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. swing — to play on
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. shower — to wash
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. drill — army training
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cap — of ice
  22. band — a music group
  23. stock — goods
  24. cap — a lid

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