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: bowl · rush · shower · staff · object · mark · wind · perch

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. mark — a grade
  4. object — a thing
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. shower — rain
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. staff — a stick
  10. wind — moving air
  11. mark — a trace
  12. perch — the fish
  13. shower — to wash
  14. rush — hurry
  15. staff — employees
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. staff — employees
  20. object — an aim
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. object — to protest

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