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 120 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 ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. can — a tin
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. clip — for paper
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mate — a friend
  8. can — a tin
  9. mate — a partner
  10. lie — to recline
  11. clip — a video
  12. prune — to trim
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. mate — to breed
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rash — a series
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. clip — to cut
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rash — hasty
  22. can — to be able to
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. prune — the fruit

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