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 124 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. row — to paddle
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. season — in sport
  10. spell — magic
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. mark — a grade
  13. shower — to wash
  14. spell — letters
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. row — a line
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. mark — to pay attention
  19. shower — rain
  20. mark — a trace
  21. wax — to grow
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. tube — a container
  24. spell — a short time

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