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: staff · tube · wake · lash · suit · shower · hide · rule

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. When will it ________________ you to start?
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. wake — a trail
  4. rule — a law
  5. tube — a container
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. suit — clothes
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. suit — in cards
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — employees
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. suit — to fit
  16. tube — the underground
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. shower — to wash
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. rule — government
  24. staff — a stick

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