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. Have you met the new head ________________?
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. present — there
  7. perch — the fish
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. present — a gift
  10. current — electric
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wind — moving air
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. date — the fruit
  15. current — happening now
  16. lie — to recline
  17. wind — moving air
  18. dip — to sink
  19. present — the time now
  20. coach — pulled by horses
  21. current — of water
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. lie — an untruth

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