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 120 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. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The light ________________ burned out.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. can — a tin
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. cold — the Cold War
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. game — a match
  7. spring — a coil
  8. dip — to sink
  9. bulb — for light
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. cold — not warm
  12. foot — a measure
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. spring — the season
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. cold — an illness
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. spring — of water
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. game — wild animals
  21. can — to be able to
  22. bulb — for light
  23. can — a tin
  24. safe — a strongbox

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