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: cue · shower · wave · dip · ground · rule · leaves · bat

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. shower — to wash
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bat — the animal
  5. cue — a signal
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. ground — a position
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. cue — a hint
  11. shower — rain
  12. rule — government
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cue — for pool
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rule — a law
  24. bat — for baseball

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