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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. I can't ________________ this cold.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. The tickets are free of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. march — the month
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. fork — in a road
  7. rash — hasty
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. charge — electricity
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. snap — to click
  13. rash — a series
  14. mate — a partner
  15. dip — to sink
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. charge — in control
  18. march — the month
  19. march — music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. stand — to bear
  22. mate — to breed
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. charge — a price

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