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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. drill — army training
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. shower — to wash
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. tube — a container
  18. shower — rain
  19. drill — a practice
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. tube — the underground
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. drill — the tool
  24. sharp — clever

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