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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. land — to come down
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. bore — to drill
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. craft — boats
  9. land — a country
  10. bore — to tire
  11. date — the fruit
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. pitch — completely
  18. rush — hurry
  19. dip — to sink
  20. land — ground
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rock — a stone
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. date — on the calendar

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