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. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wax — for sculpting
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. wax — to grow
  7. bound — certain
  8. bound — tied together
  9. bound — obliged
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. game — wild animals
  16. perch — the fish
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wax — in the ear
  20. game — a match
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. pass — a permit
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. pass — to succeed

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