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 · shower · degree · hand · mouse · board · tear · mug

  1. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. tear — to rip
  4. mug — a face
  5. board — a committee
  6. tear — from crying
  7. degree — an amount
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. degree — temperature
  10. hand — help
  11. face — to confront
  12. face — part of the head
  13. shower — to wash
  14. degree — from a university
  15. board — to get on
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. face — to point toward
  19. mug — to rob
  20. shower — rain
  21. board — a flat piece
  22. hand — in cards
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. tear — from crying

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