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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wind — moving air
  3. degree — from a university
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. staff — a stick
  6. bear — the animal
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. bear — the animal
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. dip — to sink
  11. staff — employees
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. degree — an amount
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. degree — temperature
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. ball — a dance
  19. ball — a great time
  20. craft — a skill
  21. wind — moving air
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. staff — employees
  24. craft — boats

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