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: bass · cue · race · arm · temple · wind · shower · lie

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. lie — to recline
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. race — the arms race
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cue — a hint
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. wind — moving air
  12. race — humankind
  13. bass — the fish
  14. race — a contest
  15. cue — for pool
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. bass — low music
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. wind — moving air
  24. cue — a signal

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