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 120 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: race · cell · shower · pass · cap · wave

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. race — humankind
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. cap — a lid
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. race — a contest
  7. cap — a hat
  8. shower — rain
  9. pass — a permit
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. shower — to wash
  12. race — the arms race
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. cell — in biology
  17. cap — of ice
  18. pass — to succeed

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