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: file · shower · face · wave · toast · hide · ball · bear

  1. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bear — the animal
  6. file — a tool
  7. file — a document
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bear — the animal
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. shower — to wash
  12. face — to confront
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. face — to point toward
  17. shower — rain
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. ball — a great time
  20. file — a line of people
  21. ball — a round shape
  22. face — part of the head
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. hide — to keep secret

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