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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. band — a music group
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. tear — from crying
  6. season — of the year
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. spring — a coil
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. jam — to spread on bread
  13. season — in sport
  14. band — a ring
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. shower — rain
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. tear — to rip
  20. tear — from crying
  21. spring — the season
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stand — to bear
  24. spring — of water

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