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: shower · ball · mine · firm · leaves · face · cap · wind

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. mine — for digging
  3. firm — steady
  4. cap — of ice
  5. ball — a dance
  6. mine — belonging to me
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. firm — a company
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. shower — to wash
  12. cap — a lid
  13. wind — moving air
  14. face — to confront
  15. face — to point toward
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. face — part of the head
  18. ball — a great time
  19. firm — decided
  20. cap — a hat
  21. wind — moving air
  22. leaves — lets stay
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. shower — rain

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