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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mug — a cup
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. face — to point toward
  6. mug — a face
  7. row — a line
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. drill — army training
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. row — to paddle
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rash — a series
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. face — to confront
  17. drill — the tool
  18. mug — to rob
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. shower — to wash
  21. wax — to grow
  22. face — part of the head
  23. wax — in the ear
  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