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: coach · rush · fall · mate · sharp · clip · plane · shower

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  9. The ________________ took off on time.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. mate — a friend
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. clip — to cut
  9. plane — an aircraft
  10. mate — a partner
  11. fall — to drop
  12. rush — hurry
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. sharp — clever
  18. clip — a video
  19. fall — the season
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. plane — a tool
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. mate — to breed
  24. clip — for paper

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