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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. key — in music
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. net — for catching
  6. key — for a lock
  7. dip — to sink
  8. net — in sport
  9. court — of law
  10. shower — to wash
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. key — the most important part
  13. net — after costs
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. rash — a series
  16. court — for sport
  17. cell — in biology
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. court — of a king
  20. wind — moving air
  21. rash — hasty
  22. wind — moving air
  23. shower — rain
  24. cell — a phone

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