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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. cold — the Cold War
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. cold — an illness
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. lean — thin
  10. lean — to bend
  11. scale — in music
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. shower — to wash
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — size or range
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cold — not warm
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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