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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. cell — in biology
  3. chair — a leader
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. dip — to sink
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. spring — the season
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. spring — of water
  12. pop — soda
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. spring — a coil
  15. bank — for money
  16. cell — a phone
  17. kid — child
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pop — music
  20. wound — an injury
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bank — for money
  23. kid — to tease
  24. pop — to visit

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