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 116 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 can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. tear — from crying
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. saw — the tool
  5. bass — low music
  6. cap — a hat
  7. dip — to sink
  8. cue — a signal
  9. tear — to rip
  10. saw — the tool
  11. bass — the instrument
  12. pass — a permit
  13. cap — a lid
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. cap — of ice
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bass — the fish
  19. craft — boats
  20. cue — a hint
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. craft — a skill
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. craft — a handicraft

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