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: tube · march · chip · mouse · lean · mark · shower · row

  1. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — thin
  2. row — a line
  3. march — music
  4. shower — to wash
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. shower — rain
  8. mark — a trace
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. lean — to bend
  11. march — the month
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. march — the month
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. chip — for betting
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. tube — the underground
  21. row — to paddle
  22. tube — a container
  23. mark — a grade
  24. chip — to eat

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