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. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — of water
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. shower — to wash
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. spring — the season
  10. fall — to drop
  11. mark — a trace
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. mark — a grade
  14. fall — the season
  15. spring — a coil
  16. fall — to drop
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — a trail
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. pass — a permit
  22. shower — rain
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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