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: bay · band · shower · mouse · club · bore · can · march

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. bore — to tire
  3. club — for dancing
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. can — a tin
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. band — a music group
  9. bore — to drill
  10. march — the month
  11. club — a group
  12. band — a ring
  13. shower — rain
  14. can — a tin
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. club — for golf
  17. bay — to keep at bay
  18. march — music
  19. shower — to wash
  20. march — the month
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. can — to be able to

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