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: bass · leaves · bowl · mate · kick · mine · wake · shower

  1. Have you found your soul ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a partner
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bass — low music
  6. mine — for digging
  7. mine — an explosive
  8. shower — rain
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. bass — the fish
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. wake — a trail
  23. kick — in football
  24. kick — with a leg

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