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. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. drill — army training
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. drill — the tool
  7. pop — soda
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bat — the animal
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. deal — to handle
  15. pop — music
  16. dip — to sink
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. lie — to recline
  24. pop — to visit

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