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: squash · race · stem · cap · shower · mouse · bowl · present

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. present — the time now
  4. shower — rain
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. cap — a hat
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. present — there
  12. cap — a lid
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. squash — to crush
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. race — the arms race
  17. shower — to wash
  18. present — a gift
  19. race — humankind
  20. stem — to come from
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. race — a contest
  24. mouse — for 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