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: tube · last · fan · mouse · rash · row · charge · shower

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The tickets are free of ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. last — to go on
  3. row — to paddle
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. charge — in control
  6. shower — to wash
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. last — final
  10. last — finally
  11. tube — the underground
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. tube — a container
  15. charge — a price
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. rash — hasty
  18. shower — rain
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. rash — a series
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. row — a line
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. charge — electricity

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