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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. cap — a hat
  6. mine — for digging
  7. wax — to grow
  8. track — a path
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — in music
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. lie — to recline
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cap — a lid
  23. scale — size or range
  24. track — a song

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