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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chest — of your body
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. chest — a box
  7. bank — for money
  8. staff — employees
  9. dip — to sink
  10. chest — of your body
  11. season — in sport
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. staff — employees
  14. hand — help
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. bank — for money
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. staff — a stick
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. season — of the year
  23. shower — rain
  24. hand — in cards

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