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 don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. last — final
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. rock — music
  5. bass — low music
  6. roll — a list
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. bank — for money
  9. roll — a cake
  10. bank — for money
  11. last — to go on
  12. rock — a stone
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. bass — the instrument
  19. bank — of a river
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. bass — the fish
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. last — finally
  24. dip — to sink

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