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 · press · key · rash · chair · drill · deal · shower

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  22. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — the tool
  4. key — for a lock
  5. chair — a leader
  6. key — in music
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. shower — to wash
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. key — the most important part
  11. rash — a series
  12. shower — rain
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. drill — army training
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. press — a publisher
  22. press — newspapers
  23. press — to push
  24. deal — a big deal

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