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: cue · ground · scale · band · stock · shower · present · straw

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. cue — a hint
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ground — a position
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. present — the time now
  7. ground — the earth
  8. stock — goods
  9. band — a ring
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. ground — crushed
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. shower — rain
  17. band — a music group
  18. scale — size or range
  19. stock — shares
  20. shower — to wash
  21. present — there
  22. scale — in music
  23. cue — a signal
  24. present — a gift

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