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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. ball — a dance
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. swing — to play on
  5. ball — a great time
  6. snap — to click
  7. rule — government
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. dip — to sink
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. swing — in golf
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. swing — music
  19. scale — in music
  20. chest — a box
  21. scale — size or range
  22. chest — of your body
  23. rule — a law
  24. pass — a permit

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