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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cue — a signal
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. coach — pulled by horses
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. cue — for pool
  9. tear — to rip
  10. shower — to wash
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. trunk — of a tree
  13. scale — size or range
  14. tear — from crying
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. scale — in music
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cue — a hint
  22. trunk — of a car
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. scale — for weighing

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