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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  17. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  18. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. mine — for digging
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. last — to go on
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. last — finally
  8. press — to push
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — for golf
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. last — final
  14. club — a group
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. mine — belonging to me
  17. mine — an explosive
  18. press — a publisher
  19. club — for dancing
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. toast — bread
  24. press — newspapers

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