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 120 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 · bowl · saw · mark · rush · rock · current · spell

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mark — a grade
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. spell — letters
  6. shower — rain
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. mark — to pay attention
  9. current — happening now
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. rush — hurry
  12. spell — magic
  13. saw — the tool
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. mark — a trace
  16. rock — music
  17. current — of water
  18. rock — a stone
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. shower — to wash
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. spell — a short time
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. current — electric

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