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: shower · game · bass · suit · bear · wave · pit · press

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Did you ________________ the button?
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. suit — to fit
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. pit — a hole
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. shower — rain
  9. suit — clothes
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bear — the animal
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. bear — the animal
  14. game — wild animals
  15. suit — in cards
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. press — a publisher
  19. press — to push
  20. bass — the fish
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. bass — low music
  23. press — newspapers
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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