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: bore · shower · cap · mate · rule · pit · wave · ball

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. bore — to drill
  8. cap — of ice
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. cap — a hat
  12. mate — a friend
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bore — to tire
  15. ball — a great time
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pit — in a race
  19. rule — government
  20. mate — to breed
  21. cap — a lid
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. pit — a hole
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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