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: drill · straw · cabinet · shower · cap · roll · pass · bass

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. roll — a cake
  5. roll — a list
  6. pass — a permit
  7. cap — of ice
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. shower — rain
  14. bass — low music
  15. shower — to wash
  16. drill — the tool
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — the fish
  20. drill — army training
  21. straw — dry grass
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. drill — a practice

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