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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. season — of the year
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. shower — rain
  9. mug — a face
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. tear — to rip
  12. chair — a leader
  13. fall — the season
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. fall — to drop
  16. tear — from crying
  17. fall — to drop
  18. drill — the tool
  19. drill — army training
  20. mug — a cup
  21. shower — to wash
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mug — to rob
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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