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: tube · shower · scale · bat · stock · current · saw · track

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. bat — the animal
  3. scale — in music
  4. current — electric
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. tube — the underground
  7. shower — to wash
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. tube — a container
  10. track — to keep track
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. track — a song
  14. stock — shares
  15. scale — size or range
  16. stock — goods
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. track — a path
  19. saw — the tool
  20. current — happening now
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. current — of water
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. shower — rain

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