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. This piece is in a major ________________.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. She's very handy with a ________________.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. key — in music
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. saw — the tool
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. cap — a hat
  6. cap — a lid
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. dip — to sink
  9. key — for a lock
  10. saw — the tool
  11. key — the most important part
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. straw — a straw man
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. squash — to crush
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. squash — the sport
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cap — of ice
  24. rush — hurry

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