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're almost out of ________________.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pop — soda
  3. pop — to visit
  4. spell — a short time
  5. root — of a plant
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. content — happy
  8. spell — magic
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. root — the cause
  13. spell — letters
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. pass — a permit
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. object — an aim
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. pop — music
  20. root — of a word
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. object — to protest
  23. content — the amount
  24. object — a thing

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