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 seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Don't do anything ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. rock — music
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. rash — hasty
  5. rash — a series
  6. cap — of ice
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. tear — from crying
  9. shower — to wash
  10. wake — a trail
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rock — a stone
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. cap — a hat
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. tear — to rip
  23. cap — a lid
  24. shower — rain

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