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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. shower — to wash
  3. drill — a practice
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. tube — a container
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. march — music
  8. shower — rain
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. march — the month
  12. drill — the tool
  13. trunk — of an elephant
  14. tube — the underground
  15. drill — army training
  16. rush — hurry
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. fork — in a road
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. season — in sport
  24. march — the month

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