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: rock · stick · cold · shower · hand · wound · toast · firm

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. firm — decided
  5. hand — in cards
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. firm — steady
  10. hand — help
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. cold — not warm
  16. toast — bread
  17. firm — a company
  18. rock — a stone
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. wound — an injury
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. cold — an illness
  24. rock — music

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