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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  8. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  9. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rash — hasty
  3. key — the most important part
  4. chest — a box
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. spell — letters
  7. stem — of a plant
  8. stem — to come from
  9. rash — a series
  10. key — in music
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spell — magic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. spell — a short time
  15. object — an aim
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. key — for a lock
  18. object — to protest
  19. object — a thing
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lie — to recline
  23. chest — of your body
  24. stem — a stem cell

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