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 116 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 met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. hand — help
  7. spring — the season
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pop — music
  11. spring — a coil
  12. spring — of water
  13. mine — for digging
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. hand — in cards
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. pop — soda
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. snap — to click
  23. dip — to sink
  24. hand — part of the body

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