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: shower · squash · foot · deal · content · wave · wind · bass

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. shower — rain
  4. bass — low music
  5. bass — the fish
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. wind — moving air
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. content — happy
  13. squash — to crush
  14. content — the amount
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. squash — the sport
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. shower — to wash
  23. wind — moving air
  24. foot — a measure

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