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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pit — a hole
  3. wind — moving air
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. wind — moving air
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. track — a song
  10. track — a path
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. bark — to shout
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rush — hurry
  19. mate — to breed
  20. pit — in a race
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bear — the animal
  23. track — to keep track
  24. rush — to hurry

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