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 120 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: shower · scale · tear · foot · pitch · ball · wax · current

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. scale — size or range
  5. pitch — completely
  6. shower — to wash
  7. wax — to grow
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. tear — from crying
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. tear — from crying
  13. foot — a measure
  14. current — of water
  15. current — happening now
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. current — electric
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. tear — to rip
  22. scale — in music
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. wax — for sculpting

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