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. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. can — a tin
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. toast — bread
  5. dip — to sink
  6. deal — to handle
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. shower — rain
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. lie — to recline
  12. can — a tin
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. toast — the most admired
  16. shower — to wash
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. scale — in music
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. scale — size or range

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