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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. row — to paddle
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. ball — a dance
  12. bat — the animal
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. foot — a measure
  15. row — a line
  16. dip — to sink
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. ball — a great time
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. wave — of the sea

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