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 120 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. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. shower — to wash
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. tube — a container
  9. ball — a dance
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. mark — a trace
  15. track — a path
  16. ball — a great time
  17. mark — a grade
  18. bank — for money
  19. track — a song
  20. bat — the animal
  21. tube — the underground
  22. bank — for money
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. sharp — clever

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