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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. dip — to sink
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. tear — from crying
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. pop — music
  8. cell — in biology
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. pop — to visit
  11. cell — a phone
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. tear — from crying
  14. saw — the tool
  15. tear — to rip
  16. tube — a container
  17. pop — soda
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. saw — the tool
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. tube — the underground
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. arm — part of the body

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