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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. shower — to wash
  6. net — for catching
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. shower — rain
  9. tear — to rip
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. saw — the tool
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. tear — from crying
  15. net — after costs
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. tear — from crying
  18. net — in sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. dip — to sink

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