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: wave · capital · mine · pound · season · spell · shower · patient

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. mine — an explosive
  5. season — of the year
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. season — in sport
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. capital — money
  13. shower — to wash
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — a city
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pound — a weight
  20. spell — letters
  21. mine — for digging
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. spell — magic

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