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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. game — a match
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. present — a gift
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. dip — to sink
  8. rash — hasty
  9. present — there
  10. game — wild animals
  11. squash — the sport
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. lie — to recline
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. present — the time now
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. date — the fruit
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. squash — to crush

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