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. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. The light ________________ burned out.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rest — a break
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. rest — what's left
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bulb — for light
  13. stem — to come from
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. mine — for digging
  17. bulb — for light
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. rest — what's left
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. temple — a place of worship

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