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. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. The ________________ took off on time.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. dip — to sink
  4. bass — low music
  5. wind — moving air
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. plane — a tool
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. kid — to tease
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bass — the fish
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. kid — child
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. wind — moving air
  21. plane — an aircraft
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. fork — in a road

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