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 · shower · rule · bank · pitch · suit · tear · saw

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. shower — to wash
  3. suit — clothes
  4. rule — government
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. suit — to fit
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — of a river
  10. saw — the tool
  11. rule — a law
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. tear — from crying
  14. bank — for money
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. band — a ring
  20. tear — from crying
  21. band — a music group
  22. bank — for money
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. tear — to rip

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