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: saw · bark · drill · hide · shower · tube · object · season

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. season — of the year
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. object — a thing
  6. tube — the underground
  7. drill — a practice
  8. shower — to wash
  9. object — an aim
  10. saw — the tool
  11. shower — rain
  12. tube — a container
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. object — to protest
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. saw — the tool
  21. drill — the tool
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. bark — to shout
  24. drill — army training

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