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: shower · stock · cap · safe · fork · bass · mine · mate

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. mine — for digging
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. mate — a partner
  8. bass — the fish
  9. cap — of ice
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mine — belonging to me
  13. mate — to breed
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. stock — shares
  19. stock — goods
  20. bass — low music
  21. fork — in a road
  22. shower — rain
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. safe — out of danger

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