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: saw · fall · drill · shower · spell · swing · field · pass

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. swing — in golf
  3. fall — to drop
  4. swing — to play on
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. field — farmland
  7. fall — the season
  8. saw — the tool
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fall — to drop
  11. shower — to wash
  12. spell — letters
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. drill — the tool
  15. field — for sport
  16. drill — army training
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. spell — magic
  19. spell — a short time
  20. field — a subject
  21. pass — a permit
  22. swing — music
  23. drill — a practice
  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