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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. spell — magic
  3. fine — high quality
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stem — to come from
  6. spell — letters
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. rock — music
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. stem — a stem cell
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. perch — the fish
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. fine — all right
  18. dip — to sink
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. spell — a short time
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — a stone

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