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 120 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. rock — music
  3. bark — to shout
  4. dip — to sink
  5. capital — a big letter
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. capital — money
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. capital — a city
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — the tool
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. bowl — to roll
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. rock — a stone
  21. saw — the tool
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. bore — to tire
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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