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. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. chest — of your body
  4. tear — from crying
  5. fall — the season
  6. tear — from crying
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. pass — a permit
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. tear — to rip
  11. vault — a safe
  12. rash — hasty
  13. fall — to drop
  14. chest — of your body
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. shower — to wash
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chest — a box
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cue — a signal
  22. shower — rain
  23. rash — a series
  24. pass — to spend time

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