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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. saw — the tool
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. row — to paddle
  5. pitch — a sports field
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. bulb — for light
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. pitch — completely
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. bulb — for light
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. saw — the tool
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. row — a line
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. pitcher — a jug

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