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 120 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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. object — a thing
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. chest — a box
  11. pit — in a race
  12. deal — to handle
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. tear — to rip
  16. object — an aim
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. tear — from crying
  22. pit — a hole
  23. dip — to sink
  24. tear — from crying

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