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. The light ________________ burned out.
  3. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We're on a ________________ here.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. bulb — for light
  3. content — videos and posts
  4. roll — a cake
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — magic
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. content — the amount
  11. craft — a skill
  12. content — happy
  13. spell — letters
  14. wind — moving air
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wind — moving air
  18. roll — a list
  19. craft — boats
  20. spell — a short time
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. roll — on a roll
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. nail — for a hammer

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