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 116 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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. That must've been a ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. prune — to trim
  4. ground — the earth
  5. file — a tool
  6. fall — to drop
  7. rush — a thrill
  8. ground — crushed
  9. ground — a position
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. present — the time now
  12. file — a document
  13. present — a gift
  14. rush — hurry
  15. chair — a leader
  16. prune — to trim
  17. file — a line of people
  18. fall — the season
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. dip — to sink
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. present — there
  24. chair — to sit on

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