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 · dip · bowl · arm · wax · board · plane · season

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. The ________________ took off on time.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. board — a committee
  7. wax — to grow
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. plane — an aircraft
  12. dip — to sink
  13. season — of the year
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. plane — a tool
  16. board — to get on
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. shower — to wash
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. season — in sport
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. dip — to dunk

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