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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. Did you ________________ the button?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pit — a hole
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. fine — all right
  5. spring — the season
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. pit — in a race
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. fine — high quality
  12. press — to push
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. press — a publisher
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. press — newspapers
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. spring — of water
  23. spring — a coil
  24. wave — of the sea

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