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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. band — a music group
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. shower — to wash
  5. tube — a container
  6. band — a ring
  7. toast — bread
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mouse — for a computer
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. kid — child
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. root — the cause
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. wound — an injury
  18. root — of a plant
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. tube — the underground
  22. root — of a word
  23. kid — to tease
  24. wound — an injury

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