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: cell · bat · rush · calf · date · shower · pitcher · bank

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He was locked up in a ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bat — the animal
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. bank — for money
  12. bank — for money
  13. shower — rain
  14. rush — hurry
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bank — of a river
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. cell — in a prison
  23. cell — in biology
  24. date — on the calendar

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