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: tube · row · prune · bay · straw · leaves · kick · shower

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. shower — to wash
  8. kick — in football
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. tube — the underground
  11. tube — a container
  12. shower — rain
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. prune — to trim
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. prune — to trim
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. row — a line
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. leaves — of a tree

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