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: sharp · pop · racket · ball · cap · staff · shower · rush

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. ball — a dance
  3. shower — to wash
  4. sharp — clever
  5. ball — a great time
  6. pop — music
  7. cap — a hat
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cap — of ice
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. staff — employees
  16. rush — hurry
  17. cap — a lid
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. staff — employees
  23. staff — a stick
  24. shower — rain

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