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. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wind — moving air
  4. present — a gift
  5. tube — the underground
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wind — moving air
  9. tube — a container
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. mark — a trace
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rush — hurry
  17. shower — to wash
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. shower — rain
  20. mark — a grade
  21. present — the time now
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. wake — a trail
  24. present — there

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