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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. club — a group
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. roll — a list
  6. roll — a cake
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. date — the fruit
  10. club — for golf
  11. dip — to sink
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. bass — the fish
  14. club — for dancing
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. bass — low music
  17. kid — child
  18. deal — to handle
  19. lie — to recline
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. kid — to tease
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. lie — an untruth

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