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: shower · face · cap · season · track · deal · mark · wake

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Did you ________________ the meat?
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. cap — a lid
  3. season — to add flavour
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. wake — a trail
  6. face — part of the head
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. season — in sport
  9. face — to confront
  10. cap — a hat
  11. shower — rain
  12. deal — to handle
  13. season — of the year
  14. cap — of ice
  15. track — a song
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. track — to keep track
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. shower — to wash
  21. track — a path
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mark — a grade
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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