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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. staff — employees
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. game — a match
  9. rash — hasty
  10. game — wild animals
  11. staff — employees
  12. fork — in a road
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. ground — the earth
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rash — a series
  19. wake — a trail
  20. lie — to recline
  21. shower — to wash
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. staff — a stick
  24. ground — a position

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