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. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. shower — to wash
  3. mark — a grade
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. chip — for betting
  6. mark — a trace
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. kid — to tease
  9. shower — rain
  10. drill — a practice
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. tube — the underground
  13. drill — army training
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. tube — a container
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. drill — the tool
  19. chip — to eat
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. row — a line
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. mark — to pay attention

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