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: mouse · cabinet · mug · wind · wave · mine · shower · rock

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. mug — to rob
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rock — a stone
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. shower — rain
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mine — for digging
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. rock — music
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wind — moving air
  20. mug — a face
  21. wind — moving air
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mug — a cup
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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