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 116 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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. capital — a big letter
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. deal — to handle
  7. sharp — clever
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. spell — a short time
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. capital — money
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. perch — the fish
  18. spell — letters
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. capital — a city
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. spell — magic

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