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 116 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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fine — all right
  6. last — finally
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. rock — a stone
  9. fine — high quality
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. branch — a division
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. last — to go on
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. swing — in golf
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. swing — to play on
  19. swing — music
  20. last — final
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. shower — rain

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