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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  3. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. straw — to clutch at straws
  3. tear — from crying
  4. tear — from crying
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. tube — the underground
  7. dip — to sink
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. tube — a container
  11. root — the cause
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. fork — in a road
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. root — of a plant
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. root — of a word
  24. tear — to rip

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