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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. tube — the underground
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. bat — the animal
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. land — to come down
  8. charge — a price
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. charge — electricity
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. press — newspapers
  13. land — ground
  14. tube — a container
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. charge — in control
  18. press — to push
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. press — a publisher
  23. shower — rain
  24. land — a country

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