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

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. degree — temperature
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pit — in a race
  7. band — a music group
  8. degree — from a university
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. band — a ring
  11. mate — to breed
  12. mate — a partner
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. bank — of a river
  15. degree — an amount
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pit — a hole
  18. bank — for money
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. bank — for money
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. game — a match
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. game — wild animals

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