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: rock · chip · bear · shower · toast · cap · patient · lash

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. shower — to wash
  3. cap — of ice
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. toast — bread
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. bear — the animal
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cap — a hat
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. chip — to eat
  17. rock — music
  18. shower — rain
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. chip — for betting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. cap — a lid

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