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. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. bank — for money
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pop — to visit
  6. bank — for money
  7. wax — for sculpting
  8. pop — soda
  9. shower — to wash
  10. tear — to rip
  11. pop — music
  12. wax — in the ear
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bank — of a river
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. tear — from crying
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. tear — from crying
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. wax — to grow
  24. pitcher — a jug

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