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. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. firm — steady
  4. firm — a company
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. dip — to sink
  10. scale — in music
  11. row — a line
  12. shower — to wash
  13. spell — letters
  14. row — to paddle
  15. sharp — clever
  16. scale — size or range
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. hand — in cards
  19. spell — a short time
  20. firm — decided
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. shower — rain
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. spell — magic

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