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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. cue — a signal
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. rock — a stone
  8. band — a music group
  9. rock — music
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. shower — to wash
  15. band — a ring
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — rain
  20. lie — to recline
  21. cue — a hint
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cue — for pool
  24. rock — to move gently

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