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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. bass — low music
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. race — humankind
  6. shower — to wash
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. field — for sport
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. field — a subject
  12. bass — the fish
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. pop — music
  15. field — farmland
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. pop — to visit
  19. pop — soda
  20. rash — a series
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. race — the arms race
  23. race — a contest
  24. rash — hasty

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