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: track · date · shower · firm · hand · suit · deal · cold

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. The water is too ________________.
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. track — a song
  3. firm — decided
  4. date — the fruit
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. suit — to fit
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cold — not warm
  11. suit — clothes
  12. track — to keep track
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. hand — in cards
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. suit — in cards
  17. hand — help
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. shower — to wash
  20. deal — to handle
  21. firm — steady
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. track — a path
  24. firm — a company

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