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 116 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 · mouse · pit · stand · bowl · fan · cabinet

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ________________ market has crashed.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  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. bowl — a football final
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. stock — shares
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pit — in a race
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. stock — goods
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. shower — rain
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. stand — to bear
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stand — for spectators
  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