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: wave · coach · rush · shower · bore · pitcher

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. bore — to tire
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bore — to drill
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. rush — hurry
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. shower — rain
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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