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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rock — a stone
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. tube — a container
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. spring — a coil
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. content — happy
  11. spring — of water
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. spring — the season
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. pound — a weight
  16. tube — the underground
  17. content — the amount
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fork — in a road
  23. rock — music
  24. tube — in a tire

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