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 like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. toast — bread
  3. fall — to drop
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. kid — to tease
  6. bark — a dog's sound
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bark — to shout
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fall — to drop
  15. bark — of a tree
  16. face — to point toward
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. fall — the season
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. face — part of the head
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. dip — to sink
  23. face — to confront
  24. kid — child

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