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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. rush — hurry
  4. hand — in cards
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rock — to move gently
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. hand — help
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. content — happy
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rock — music
  16. mine — for digging
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. dip — to sink
  19. content — the amount
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. shower — rain
  22. rock — a stone
  23. shower — to wash
  24. deal — to handle

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