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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. track — to keep track
  5. track — a path
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. march — the month
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. dip — to sink
  12. track — a song
  13. land — to come down
  14. face — to confront
  15. land — ground
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. face — part of the head
  22. face — to point toward
  23. land — a country
  24. cabinet — ministers

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