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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. rock — music
  5. wax — to grow
  6. firm — steady
  7. rock — a stone
  8. row — a line
  9. ground — crushed
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — to paddle
  13. shower — to wash
  14. wax — in the ear
  15. ball — a dance
  16. ground — the earth
  17. firm — decided
  18. hand — in cards
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. firm — a company
  21. hand — help
  22. ground — a position
  23. wax — for sculpting
  24. ball — a great time

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