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: wave · shower · season · bore · key · nail · chest · rock

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. season — in sport
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. key — the most important part
  6. chest — a box
  7. chest — of your body
  8. rock — music
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. shower — rain
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. key — in music
  13. season — of the year
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. shower — to wash
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. key — for a lock
  23. bore — to drill
  24. chest — of your body

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