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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. current — electric
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. chest — a box
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. row — to paddle
  11. row — a line
  12. chair — a leader
  13. chest — of your body
  14. hand — help
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. current — happening now
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. current — of water
  21. chest — of your body
  22. hand — in cards
  23. fine — all right
  24. temple — side of the head

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