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. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Did you ________________ the button?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  9. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. bass — the fish
  3. wake — a trail
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. press — to push
  6. club — for golf
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. press — newspapers
  9. press — a publisher
  10. bass — low music
  11. cap — of ice
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. object — to protest
  15. object — an aim
  16. club — a group
  17. cap — a lid
  18. club — for dancing
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. object — a thing
  24. cap — a hat

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