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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. mate — to breed
  4. track — a song
  5. mate — a friend
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lie — to recline
  8. track — a path
  9. snap — to click
  10. degree — from a university
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. degree — an amount
  13. degree — temperature
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. mate — a partner
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. dip — to sink
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. track — to keep track
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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