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. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. shower — rain
  3. bound — certain
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. season — of the year
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bound — obliged
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. rush — hurry
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. snap — to click
  20. rash — hasty
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. rash — a series
  23. season — in sport
  24. bound — tied together

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