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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. cap — a hat
  4. cap — a lid
  5. perch — the fish
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. dip — to sink
  20. shower — rain
  21. cap — of ice
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. snap — to click
  24. pitcher — a jug

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