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: mark · tear · pitcher · shower · wake · sharp · prune · can

  1. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — to rip
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — rain
  4. tear — from crying
  5. prune — to trim
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mark — a trace
  8. can — to be able to
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. tear — from crying
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a grade
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. prune — to trim
  22. wake — to stop sleeping
  23. sharp — clever
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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