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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. lie — to recline
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. wind — moving air
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. wind — moving air
  14. track — a song
  15. spell — magic
  16. rash — hasty
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. shower — to wash
  19. track — to keep track
  20. shower — rain
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. track — a path
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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