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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. pop — soda
  3. date — the fruit
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. bound — tied together
  7. bound — obliged
  8. face — part of the head
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. face — to confront
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. object — an aim
  13. dip — to sink
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. object — a thing
  17. object — to protest
  18. face — to point toward
  19. bound — certain
  20. mine — for digging
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — to visit
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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