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: capital · root · toast · stand · saw · shower · chest · tear

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  15. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  16. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chest — a box
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. saw — the tool
  6. toast — bread
  7. stand — to bear
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. chest — of your body
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. saw — the tool
  12. capital — money
  13. tear — from crying
  14. tear — to rip
  15. root — of a plant
  16. tear — from crying
  17. root — the cause
  18. chest — of your body
  19. capital — a city
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. root — of a word
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. capital — a big letter
  24. shower — to wash

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