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 120 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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. craft — a skill
  5. game — a match
  6. current — electric
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. swing — in golf
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. current — of water
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. current — happening now
  16. swing — music
  17. bark — to shout
  18. content — the amount
  19. craft — boats
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. game — wild animals
  22. content — happy
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. swing — to play on

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