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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. dip — to sink
  4. mug — to rob
  5. mug — a face
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. hand — in cards
  8. root — of a word
  9. pound — a weight
  10. can — a tin
  11. game — a match
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. can — to be able to
  14. root — the cause
  15. hand — help
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. root — of a plant
  20. game — wild animals
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. mug — a cup
  23. bat — the animal
  24. dip — a sauce

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