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: can · shower · ground · cap · calf · mug · charge · tear

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. charge — in control
  3. mug — a cup
  4. tear — from crying
  5. ground — crushed
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. can — a tin
  9. cap — a hat
  10. mug — to rob
  11. shower — to wash
  12. charge — electricity
  13. can — to be able to
  14. can — a tin
  15. cap — of ice
  16. cap — a lid
  17. ground — the earth
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. tear — from crying
  20. ground — a position
  21. charge — a price
  22. mug — a face
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. tear — to rip

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