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. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. kid — to tease
  3. ground — crushed
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ground — a position
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. suit — to fit
  9. ground — the earth
  10. suit — clothes
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. kid — child
  13. rest — what's left
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. rest — a break
  18. suit — in cards
  19. rest — what's left
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stem — to come from
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. stem — of a plant

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