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: wind · shower · key · fork · vault · straw

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wind — moving air
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. shower — to wash
  5. key — for a lock
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. vault — in gymnastics
  8. fork — in a road
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. vault — a safe
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. key — in music
  16. wind — moving air
  17. key — the most important part
  18. straw — to clutch at straws

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