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 116 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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  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. track — a song
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. club — a group
  5. clip — for paper
  6. club — for golf
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. clip — a video
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. club — for dancing
  11. shower — to wash
  12. track — a path
  13. craft — boats
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. craft — a skill
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. ball — a great time
  21. clip — to cut
  22. ball — a dance
  23. track — to keep track
  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