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 116 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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rock — music
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. net — in sport
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. net — after costs
  12. field — a subject
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. net — for catching
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. rock — a stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. field — for sport
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. field — farmland

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