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: wave · pitch · dip · shower · rush · pop · file · spring

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. file — a tool
  4. shower — to wash
  5. spring — the season
  6. rush — hurry
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. file — a line of people
  9. pitch — completely
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. dip — to sink
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. pop — music
  16. spring — of water
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. pop — soda
  22. file — a document
  23. pop — to visit
  24. rush — a thrill

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