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: fine · fall · shower · wave · mine · bat · suit · track

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. fall — to drop
  3. mine — for digging
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. suit — clothes
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. fall — to drop
  8. track — a path
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. fine — high quality
  11. fall — the season
  12. suit — to fit
  13. fine — all right
  14. track — to keep track
  15. track — a song
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. shower — rain
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. suit — in cards
  24. bat — the animal

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