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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. suit — to fit
  4. mine — for digging
  5. suit — clothes
  6. suit — in cards
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. game — a match
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. content — happy
  11. foot — a measure
  12. game — wild animals
  13. content — the amount
  14. wake — a trail
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. dip — to sink
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. toast — bread

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