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 116 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: pitcher · cap · fan · nail · pit · prune · shower · face

  1. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — to point toward
  5. cap — a lid
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — rain
  13. pit — a hole
  14. cap — a hat
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. face — part of the head
  20. prune — to trim
  21. prune — to trim
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. cap — of ice

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