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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rush — hurry
  8. bear — the animal
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — for betting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. bat — the animal
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. chip — to eat
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. bat — in an idiom

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