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 get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. tear — from crying
  3. toast — bread
  4. tear — from crying
  5. rock — a stone
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bass — low music
  8. kick — in football
  9. rock — music
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. lie — to recline
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. bass — the fish
  17. dip — to sink
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. tear — to rip
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bass — the instrument

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