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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mug — a cup
  3. mug — a face
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. shower — rain
  6. land — ground
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rock — music
  10. wind — moving air
  11. suit — to fit
  12. capital — a city
  13. shower — to wash
  14. suit — in cards
  15. mug — to rob
  16. capital — money
  17. wind — moving air
  18. land — a country
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. rock — a stone
  21. suit — clothes
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. land — to come down
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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