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: racket · track · charge · shower · cap · bowl · hand · mine

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cap — a hat
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hand — help
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. shower — to wash
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. track — a song
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. cap — a lid
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. track — a path
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. charge — in control
  17. hand — in cards
  18. track — to keep track
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. charge — a price
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cap — of ice
  24. bowl — to roll

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