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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. track — a song
  3. track — to keep track
  4. track — a path
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. rush — hurry
  7. board — to get on
  8. ball — a great time
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. current — happening now
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. current — electric
  13. hand — help
  14. board — a committee
  15. shower — rain
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. ball — a dance
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stem — to come from
  20. hand — in cards
  21. shower — to wash
  22. stem — of a plant
  23. current — of water
  24. hand — part of the body

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