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: cell · shower · fine · fan · tear · wave · file · bay

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. tear — to rip
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. tear — from crying
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. file — a tool
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. cell — a phone
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. fine — all right
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. fine — high quality
  21. file — a document
  22. shower — to wash
  23. file — a line of people
  24. fan — to cool the air

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