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: stock · bulb · ground · mine · shower · suit · mate · pit

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. The ________________ market has crashed.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. shower — rain
  3. pit — in a race
  4. mine — for digging
  5. suit — to fit
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. pit — a hole
  8. stock — goods
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. bulb — for light
  12. stock — shares
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mate — to breed
  15. ground — a position
  16. shower — to wash
  17. suit — clothes
  18. bulb — for light
  19. suit — in cards
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. ground — the earth
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. ground — crushed
  24. stock — a soup base

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