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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. tube — the underground
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. row — a line
  9. cell — in biology
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. row — to paddle
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. content — the amount
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. content — happy
  19. prune — to trim
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. cell — a phone
  22. prune — to trim
  23. tube — a container
  24. shower — to wash

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