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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. saw — the tool
  3. wax — to grow
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. present — there
  6. scale — size or range
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. mug — a cup
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. mug — to rob
  14. present — a gift
  15. dip — to sink
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. scale — in music
  18. present — the time now
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. mug — a face
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. sharp — clever
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. saw — the tool

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