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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. drill — army training
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. drill — the tool
  7. shower — rain
  8. drill — a practice
  9. season — in sport
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. lie — to recline
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. season — of the year
  14. shower — to wash
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. dip — to dunk

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