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: stock · hide · swing · shower · dip · lie · cabinet · wake

  1. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ________________ market has crashed.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — goods
  2. lie — to recline
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. swing — music
  6. shower — rain
  7. stock — shares
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. shower — to wash
  12. swing — in golf
  13. swing — to play on
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. wake — a trail
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. dip — to sink
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. wake — before a funeral

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