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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. race — humankind
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. fine — high quality
  6. fine — all right
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — for golf
  9. race — a contest
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bat — the animal
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. dip — to sink
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. face — to confront
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. face — to point toward
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. club — a group
  23. face — part of the head
  24. race — the arms race

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