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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — to confront
  4. saw — the tool
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. face — to point toward
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rock — a stone
  9. rash — hasty
  10. bat — the animal
  11. rash — a series
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rock — music
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. dip — to sink
  17. face — part of the head
  18. key — the most important part
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. key — in music
  23. key — for a lock
  24. calf — a young animal

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