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. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  10. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. rush — hurry
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. root — of a plant
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. branch — of a bank
  10. root — of a word
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. wound — an injury
  13. wound — an injury
  14. branch — a division
  15. root — the cause
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. board — a committee
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. board — to get on
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. mine — for digging
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. branch — of a tree

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