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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rush — hurry
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. march — the month
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pop — to visit
  9. kid — to tease
  10. race — a contest
  11. pop — soda
  12. march — the month
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. shower — to wash
  17. race — the arms race
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. lean — thin
  20. pop — music
  21. lean — to bend
  22. race — humankind
  23. kid — child
  24. march — music

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