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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. current — happening now
  3. fine — high quality
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. fine — all right
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. dip — to sink
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. stem — to come from
  17. clip — for paper
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. current — electric
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. clip — a video
  22. current — of water
  23. deal — to handle
  24. wake — a trail

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