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: row · cap · roll · charge · shower · pitcher · saw · bear

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. saw — the tool
  3. row — to paddle
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. saw — the tool
  9. charge — in control
  10. shower — rain
  11. charge — electricity
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. bear — the animal
  15. roll — a list
  16. cap — a lid
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bear — the animal
  19. roll — a cake
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. charge — a price
  22. row — a line
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cap — of ice

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