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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  8. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The kitten curled into a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. vault — an arched ceiling
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. scale — size or range
  6. land — a country
  7. vault — a safe
  8. vault — in gymnastics
  9. ball — a dance
  10. scale — in music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. dip — to sink
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — the fish
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. land — ground
  21. ball — a great time
  22. land — to come down
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. ball — a round shape

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