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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. foot — a measure
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. shower — to wash
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. firm — decided
  12. squash — to crush
  13. firm — a company
  14. shower — rain
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. firm — steady
  17. squash — the sport
  18. scale — in music
  19. dip — to sink
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. dip — to dunk

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