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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: shower · tear · cap · calf · content · bowl

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cap — of ice
  4. content — happy
  5. shower — rain
  6. content — the amount
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. bowl — a dish
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tear — to rip
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cap — a hat
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. tear — from crying
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. tear — from crying

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