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: bank · season · last · shower · saw · lie · cold · drill

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The water is too ________________.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. season — in sport
  3. drill — army training
  4. shower — rain
  5. saw — the tool
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. saw — the tool
  9. bank — for money
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. cold — an illness
  12. bank — of a river
  13. last — to go on
  14. drill — a practice
  15. cold — not warm
  16. drill — the tool
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. shower — to wash
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. last — finally
  21. last — final
  22. lie — to recline
  23. bank — for money
  24. season — of the year

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