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: bank · racket · drill · club · stock · arm · track · shower

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. track — to keep track
  4. club — for dancing
  5. track — a path
  6. shower — rain
  7. club — a group
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. bank — for money
  13. bank — of a river
  14. club — for golf
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bank — for money
  17. track — a song
  18. shower — to wash
  19. drill — the tool
  20. stock — goods
  21. drill — army training
  22. arm — a part of something
  23. stock — shares
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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