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: prune · club · shower · cold · row · stand · bay · bowl

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — to wash
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. row — to paddle
  11. club — for dancing
  12. cold — not warm
  13. shower — rain
  14. stand — to bear
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. row — a line
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. club — for golf
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. club — a group
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. cold — an illness

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