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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. rest — a break
  6. track — to keep track
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rest — what's left
  9. rest — what's left
  10. dip — to sink
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. cap — a hat
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. track — a path
  16. cap — of ice
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. bark — to shout
  19. track — a song
  20. sharp — clever
  21. chip — for betting
  22. shower — rain
  23. cap — a lid
  24. chip — to eat

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