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. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. shower — to wash
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. bass — the fish
  7. key — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. bat — the animal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — to grow
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. key — the most important part
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. shower — rain
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. dip — to sink
  24. bass — low music

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