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 120 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. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bark — to shout
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mate — to breed
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. row — to paddle
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. row — a line
  16. shower — rain
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rash — a series
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. rash — hasty

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