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. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. current — of water
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. current — happening now
  8. sharp — clever
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. dip — to sink
  12. date — the fruit
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. vault — an arched ceiling
  15. current — electric
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. rule — government
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. vault — a safe
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. lash — to lash out
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. rule — a law

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