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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. It's one o'clock ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. mark — a trace
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. dip — to sink
  7. chest — of your body
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. chest — of your body
  11. sharp — clever
  12. sharp — exactly
  13. pop — music
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. current — happening now
  17. pound — a weight
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. chest — a box
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. current — of water
  23. current — electric
  24. pop — soda

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