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 120 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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. race — a contest
  7. mug — a cup
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. mug — a face
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. court — for sport
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. race — humankind
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. race — the arms race
  19. pound — a weight
  20. mug — to rob
  21. court — of a king
  22. dip — to sink
  23. fork — in a road
  24. court — of law

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