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 120 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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. spring — of water
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. mark — a trace
  6. ground — the earth
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cue — a hint
  10. bank — for money
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. ground — a position
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. bank — for money
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. cue — for pool
  17. spring — a coil
  18. cue — a signal
  19. shower — rain
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. shower — to wash
  22. bank — of a river
  23. ground — crushed
  24. spring — the season

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