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 120 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: fine · mark · shower · wave · content · cell · wound · kid

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. This looks like a gunshot ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cell — in biology
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. kid — child
  6. wound — an injury
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. fine — all right
  9. shower — to wash
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. content — the amount
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. cell — a phone
  14. fine — high quality
  15. mark — a grade
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. mark — a trace
  22. kid — to tease
  23. content — happy
  24. wound — an injury

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