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: arm · stock · staff · net · shower · mouse · pop · wake

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. staff — employees
  4. net — after costs
  5. shower — rain
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — music
  8. staff — a stick
  9. shower — to wash
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. net — for catching
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. staff — employees
  15. net — in sport
  16. stock — shares
  17. pop — soda
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. stock — goods
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pop — to visit
  22. wake — a trail
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. mouse — for a computer

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