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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fine — all right
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. straw — dry grass
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. bass — low music
  13. content — the amount
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. bass — the fish
  16. fine — high quality
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. rash — hasty
  20. content — happy
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. rash — a series
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. rash — on the skin

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