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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rock — music
  9. chest — of your body
  10. ground — a position
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. spell — magic
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. plane — a tool
  15. dip — to sink
  16. chest — a box
  17. spell — letters
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. ground — the earth
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. chest — of your body
  24. rock — a stone

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