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. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a part of the sea
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. dip — to sink
  10. last — final
  11. last — to go on
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. last — finally
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. sharp — clever
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. pass — a permit
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. lie — to recline

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