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. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — a company
  2. dip — to sink
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. last — finally
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. spring — the season
  10. bore — to drill
  11. board — to get on
  12. last — to go on
  13. board — a committee
  14. firm — steady
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. deal — to handle
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spring — a coil
  19. last — final
  20. board — a flat piece
  21. spring — of water
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. firm — decided

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