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 116 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: racket · shower · degree · club · hide · nail · rash · pound

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. club — a group
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. degree — temperature
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. degree — from a university
  8. shower — rain
  9. club — for dancing
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pound — a weight
  14. rash — a series
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. club — for golf
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. degree — an amount
  23. rash — hasty
  24. nail — on a finger

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