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: lean · fine · ground · wave · rash · shower · roll · capital

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rash — a series
  3. fine — all right
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. rash — hasty
  7. capital — money
  8. shower — rain
  9. shower — to wash
  10. fine — high quality
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. ground — the earth
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. lean — to bend
  17. ground — crushed
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. roll — a cake
  20. capital — a city
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. roll — a list
  23. lean — thin
  24. rash — on the skin

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