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: rash · shower · club · ground · rush · cabinet · cue · face

  1. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to confront
  2. club — for dancing
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. club — a group
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cue — a signal
  7. ground — the earth
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. face — part of the head
  10. cue — a hint
  11. shower — rain
  12. club — for golf
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rush — hurry
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. face — to point toward
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. ground — a position
  21. rash — a series
  22. cue — for pool
  23. ground — crushed
  24. shower — to wash

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