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: court · spell · bear · suit · saw · shower · calf · pop

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bear — the animal
  4. suit — clothes
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. court — of a king
  7. suit — to fit
  8. spell — letters
  9. saw — the tool
  10. pop — soda
  11. shower — rain
  12. pop — to visit
  13. spell — magic
  14. court — for sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. suit — in cards
  21. court — of law
  22. pop — music
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. shower — to wash

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