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 124 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bass — the fish
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. spring — the season
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. court — of law
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. spring — of water
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. bass — low music
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. court — of a king
  20. shower — rain
  21. stand — to bear
  22. court — for sport
  23. rush — hurry
  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