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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. swing — in golf
  3. bat — the animal
  4. fall — to drop
  5. drill — the tool
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rock — music
  10. dip — to sink
  11. drill — a practice
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. swing — music
  14. fall — to drop
  15. fall — the season
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. prune — to trim
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. swing — to play on
  20. shower — rain
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. prune — to trim
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. drill — army training

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