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: shower · wake · court · patient · swing · pass · cabinet · sharp

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. swing — in golf
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. shower — to wash
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. court — for sport
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. swing — to play on
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. swing — music
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. sharp — clever
  18. court — of law
  19. pass — a permit
  20. court — of a king
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. wake — before a funeral

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