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: season · shower · track · cap · can · coach · tear · ball

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Have you met the new head ________________?
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. ball — a great time
  3. track — a path
  4. tear — from crying
  5. season — in sport
  6. track — a song
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. tear — to rip
  10. cap — a hat
  11. tear — from crying
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. shower — to wash
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. cap — a lid
  16. season — of the year
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — to be able to
  20. cap — of ice
  21. ball — a dance
  22. track — to keep track
  23. shower — rain
  24. can — a tin

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