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: lean · shower · club · cabinet · ball · can · saw · rash

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. shower — to wash
  3. can — a tin
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. can — a tin
  6. ball — a dance
  7. saw — the tool
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. club — for golf
  10. can — to be able to
  11. lean — to bend
  12. club — for dancing
  13. rash — hasty
  14. club — a group
  15. lean — thin
  16. shower — rain
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rash — a series
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. ball — a great time
  24. saw — the tool

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