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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. drill — a practice
  3. drill — army training
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. chest — a box
  6. spring — a coil
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. spring — the season
  11. foot — a measure
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. chest — of your body
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. dip — to sink
  17. rash — hasty
  18. drill — the tool
  19. rash — a series
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. spring — of water
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. chest — of your body

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