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: club · tear · shower · wake · pound · lean

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. lean — thin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. tear — from crying
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. tear — to rip
  8. shower — rain
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. club — a group
  13. lean — to bend
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wake — a trail
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. wake — before a funeral
  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