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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. craft — a skill
  3. snap — to click
  4. hand — in cards
  5. lie — to recline
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wound — an injury
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. capital — money
  16. capital — a city
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. hand — help
  21. craft — boats
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wound — an injury
  24. craft — a handicraft

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