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: mate · straw · press · mug · bowl · rash · last · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  8. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Don't do anything ________________.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. mate — a partner
  5. mate — a friend
  6. last — final
  7. rash — on the skin
  8. press — a publisher
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rash — a series
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. last — to go on
  15. last — finally
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. press — newspapers
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. mug — a cup
  20. rash — hasty
  21. mug — a face
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. press — to push
  24. shower — to wash

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