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: fall · date · shower · club · ground · game · lean · ball

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lean — to bend
  4. ground — a position
  5. game — wild animals
  6. ground — crushed
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. ground — the earth
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. shower — to wash
  13. club — a group
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. club — for golf
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. ball — a dance
  18. club — for dancing
  19. lean — thin
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. fall — to drop
  22. game — a match
  23. ball — a great time
  24. shower — rain

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