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: rest · pop · track · pitcher · shower · bat · hide · lean

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. track — a song
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. lean — thin
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. track — a path
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pop — music
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. rest — a break
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. rest — what's left
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. lean — to bend
  16. track — to keep track
  17. shower — rain
  18. lean — to rest against
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. pop — soda
  22. pop — to visit
  23. shower — to wash
  24. bat — the animal

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