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 120 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 strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. wind — moving air
  3. shower — rain
  4. mate — to breed
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. shower — to wash
  7. drill — a practice
  8. pop — music
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. pop — soda
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mate — a friend
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. drill — army training
  19. bulb — for light
  20. pop — to visit
  21. wind — to turn a key
  22. mate — a partner
  23. bulb — for light
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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