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. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. fall — the season
  5. present — the time now
  6. present — there
  7. chip — for betting
  8. lie — to recline
  9. dip — to sink
  10. hand — help
  11. bank — of a river
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. present — a gift
  16. fall — to drop
  17. bank — for money
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. bark — to shout
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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