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: stand · game · chair · spell · march · temple · shower · wave

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. spell — a short time
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — to bear
  7. game — a match
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. march — music
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. shower — rain
  13. spell — letters
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. chair — a leader
  17. game — wild animals
  18. shower — to wash
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. spell — magic
  24. march — the month

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