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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  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. fall — to drop
  2. net — in sport
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. fall — to drop
  6. mine — for digging
  7. rash — hasty
  8. face — to confront
  9. deal — to handle
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. face — to point toward
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. dip — to sink
  16. deal — a big deal
  17. rock — music
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. net — after costs
  20. face — part of the head
  21. fall — the season
  22. net — for catching
  23. rash — a series
  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