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 · date · rush · bay · chip · ruler · snap · straw

  1. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  7. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  8. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. ruler — for measuring
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bay — a part of the sea
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. snap — to speak sharply
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. rush — hurry
  11. snap — to click
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. shower — to wash
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. date — the fruit
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. shower — rain
  22. chip — for betting
  23. straw — a straw man
  24. chip — in a computer

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