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: club · spring · squash · wake · rule · shower · mouse · bear

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. spring — the season
  4. shower — to wash
  5. rule — government
  6. squash — the sport
  7. club — for dancing
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. squash — to crush
  10. bear — the animal
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. wake — a trail
  14. club — for golf
  15. bear — the animal
  16. spring — a coil
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rule — a law
  19. club — a group
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. shower — rain
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. spring — of water

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