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: cabinet · saw · mouse · rash · clip · arm · shower · pitch

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. pitch — completely
  4. rash — a series
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. shower — rain
  8. saw — the tool
  9. clip — for paper
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. clip — a video
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rash — hasty
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. clip — to cut
  24. saw — the tool

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