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 120 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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. rock — music
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. ground — a position
  6. rash — a series
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rash — hasty
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cell — in biology
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rock — a stone
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. dip — to sink
  18. ground — the earth
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. cell — a phone
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. bowl — to roll

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