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: band · lie · hide · rush · shower · wind · swing · charge

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The tickets are free of ________________.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. charge — a price
  3. swing — in golf
  4. swing — to play on
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. wind — moving air
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. charge — in control
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. shower — rain
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rush — hurry
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. charge — electricity
  20. wind — moving air
  21. lie — to recline
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. swing — music
  24. band — a ring

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