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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. dip — to sink
  3. shower — to wash
  4. club — for golf
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. shower — rain
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. club — for dancing
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. prune — to trim
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. wake — a trail
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. prune — to trim
  22. club — a group
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. dip — to dunk

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