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: season · shower · bore · track · swing · cabinet · date · tube

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. swing — to play on
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. track — to keep track
  7. tube — a container
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. bore — to tire
  10. track — a path
  11. swing — music
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. date — the fruit
  15. swing — in golf
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. tube — the underground
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. season — of the year
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. season — in sport
  22. bore — to drill
  23. track — a song
  24. cabinet — ministers

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