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: shower · band · rash · season · present · bass · bay · root

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. bay — to keep at bay
  3. band — a music group
  4. bass — the instrument
  5. band — a ring
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. root — of a word
  8. rash — hasty
  9. root — the cause
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. present — the time now
  12. shower — to wash
  13. present — a gift
  14. bass — low music
  15. season — of the year
  16. shower — rain
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. root — of a plant
  22. rash — a series
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. present — there

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