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: face · game · staff · shower · tube · bay · nail · last

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. tube — a container
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. shower — rain
  8. game — a match
  9. staff — employees
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. tube — the underground
  12. face — to point toward
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. last — to go on
  16. last — final
  17. face — part of the head
  18. face — to confront
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. shower — to wash
  21. game — wild animals
  22. last — finally
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. nail — for a hammer

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