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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. saw — the tool
  4. stem — of a plant
  5. saw — the tool
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. face — to confront
  8. face — part of the head
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. face — to point toward
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. roll — a list
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. roll — a cake
  16. can — to be able to
  17. dip — to sink
  18. can — a tin
  19. sharp — clever
  20. mine — for digging
  21. stem — a stem cell
  22. stem — to come from
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. dip — to dunk

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