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 116 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: lash · band · current · racket · net · shower · fall · leaves

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. band — a music group
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. net — after costs
  5. current — of water
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. shower — to wash
  8. fall — to drop
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. current — happening now
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. net — for catching
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. band — a ring
  19. lash — to lash out
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. current — electric
  23. shower — rain
  24. net — in sport

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