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. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. tube — the underground
  7. bark — to shout
  8. can — to be able to
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. shower — to wash
  11. can — a tin
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. pit — in a race
  14. lie — to recline
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. tube — a container
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. bark — of a tree
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. can — a tin
  22. squash — the vegetable
  23. pit — a hole
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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