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. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. current — happening now
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. dip — to sink
  6. face — to confront
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. last — to go on
  9. current — of water
  10. chip — to eat
  11. face — to point toward
  12. saw — the tool
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. last — final
  15. last — finally
  16. face — part of the head
  17. ground — a position
  18. chip — for betting
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. current — electric
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. ground — crushed
  24. ground — the earth

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