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 like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. hand — in cards
  3. current — electric
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. dip — to sink
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. object — an aim
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. capital — a city
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. object — a thing
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. object — to protest
  16. current — of water
  17. hand — help
  18. saw — the tool
  19. current — happening now
  20. capital — money
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. saw — the tool
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. capital — a big letter

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