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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. march — music
  3. net — after costs
  4. prune — to trim
  5. cap — a lid
  6. shower — rain
  7. shower — to wash
  8. snap — to click
  9. net — for catching
  10. net — in sport
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. rush — hurry
  13. deal — to handle
  14. cap — of ice
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. prune — to trim
  17. march — the month
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. cap — a hat
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. march — the month

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