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: shower · staff · net · pass · spring · cabinet · rest · rock

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  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. rock — music
  2. net — after costs
  3. staff — a stick
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. shower — rain
  6. net — for catching
  7. spring — the season
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. pass — a permit
  10. net — in sport
  11. staff — employees
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. staff — employees
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. rest — what's left
  17. rest — a break
  18. spring — of water
  19. shower — to wash
  20. spring — a coil
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. rock — a stone
  23. rest — what's left
  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