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: rush · fan · wake · shower · leaves · sharp · pass · season

  1. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — hurry
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. shower — to wash
  8. wake — a trail
  9. season — of the year
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. shower — rain
  13. sharp — clever
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. season — in sport
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. pass — a permit
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. wake — before a funeral

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