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 116 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: pound · spell · tube · cabinet · shower · pitcher · cue · tear

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I'll be taking the ________________.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. tear — from crying
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. tube — a container
  7. spell — a short time
  8. shower — rain
  9. tube — the underground
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. pound — a weight
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. cue — a hint
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. cue — a signal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — letters
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cue — for pool

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