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: race · shower · tear · plane · pitch · lie · deal · key

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. shower — rain
  3. tear — to rip
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pitch — completely
  6. deal — to handle
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. key — the most important part
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. lie — to recline
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. plane — a tool
  13. key — for a lock
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. key — in music
  16. race — a contest
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. tear — from crying
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. race — the arms race
  23. shower — to wash
  24. race — humankind

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