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 light ________________ burned out.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. bulb — for light
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. file — a document
  6. mug — a face
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. spell — letters
  9. lie — to recline
  10. file — a tool
  11. spell — a short time
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. mug — a cup
  14. bear — the animal
  15. dip — to sink
  16. spell — magic
  17. file — a line of people
  18. bulb — for light
  19. bear — the animal
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. mug — to rob

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