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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. pit — in a race
  4. land — a country
  5. tear — from crying
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. tear — from crying
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. last — finally
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. last — final
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. last — to go on
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. tear — to rip
  19. pound — a weight
  20. land — ground
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. land — to come down
  23. pit — a hole
  24. date — 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