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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. face — part of the head
  3. pitch — completely
  4. face — to confront
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. content — the amount
  8. bass — low music
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. pitch — a sales talk
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. dip — to sink
  13. content — happy
  14. bass — the fish
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. last — final
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. kid — child
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. last — finally
  21. last — to go on
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. kid — to tease
  24. face — to point toward

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