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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. fork — in a road
  5. tear — from crying
  6. lie — to recline
  7. can — a tin
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. tear — from crying
  12. bore — to drill
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — child
  15. tear — to rip
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. can — a tin
  18. wake — a trail
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bore — to tire
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. bore — gave birth
  24. can — to be able to

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