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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. drill — a practice
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. lean — to bend
  5. shower — rain
  6. last — to go on
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. drill — army training
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. last — finally
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. wake — a trail
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. track — a path
  18. drill — the tool
  19. shower — to wash
  20. track — a song
  21. lean — thin
  22. last — final
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. track — to keep track

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