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: file · temple · shower · season · hide · net · cabinet · spring

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. spring — a coil
  4. spring — the season
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. shower — rain
  8. net — for catching
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. spring — of water
  12. shower — to wash
  13. file — a line of people
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. net — after costs
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. file — a tool
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. season — of the year
  23. file — a document
  24. net — in sport

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