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 116 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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. last — final
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bound — tied together
  6. pop — music
  7. dip — to sink
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ball — a dance
  11. sharp — clever
  12. bound — obliged
  13. pop — soda
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. last — finally
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. key — in music
  19. key — for a lock
  20. pop — to visit
  21. shower — rain
  22. bound — certain
  23. ball — a great time
  24. last — to go on

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