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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bat — the animal
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bound — obliged
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. bound — certain
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. bound — tied together
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. bank — for money
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. dip — to sink
  18. kid — child
  19. bank — for money
  20. temple — side of the head
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. bank — of a river
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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