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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. False peace will not ________________.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. dip — to sink
  5. mine — for digging
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. club — for dancing
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. last — to go on
  10. fall — the season
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. fall — to drop
  13. club — a group
  14. fall — to drop
  15. club — for golf
  16. game — a match
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. last — final
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. last — finally
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a kind of play

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