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: pitch · stock · spell · mug · shower · race · sharp · wind

  1. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. Where did you ________________ them?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. race — humankind
  2. spell — magic
  3. race — a contest
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. stock — a soup base
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. shower — rain
  9. spell — a short time
  10. race — the arms race
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. pitch — completely
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. mug — to rob
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mug — a cup
  17. mug — a face
  18. spell — letters
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wind — moving air
  21. stock — goods
  22. stock — shares
  23. wind — moving air
  24. sharp — clever

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