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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rest — a break
  3. rash — a series
  4. court — of a king
  5. pop — soda
  6. present — there
  7. shower — rain
  8. board — a committee
  9. pop — to visit
  10. court — for sport
  11. shower — to wash
  12. board — to get on
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. content — the amount
  15. present — a gift
  16. court — of law
  17. present — the time now
  18. rash — hasty
  19. rest — what's left
  20. pop — music
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. rest — what's left
  24. content — happy

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