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 was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. ball — a dance
  5. stem — to come from
  6. mate — a partner
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. bulb — for light
  9. mate — to breed
  10. dip — to sink
  11. track — to keep track
  12. bulb — for light
  13. object — to protest
  14. track — a song
  15. object — an aim
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. object — a thing
  21. bulb — of a plant
  22. track — a path
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. mate — a friend

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