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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. The light ________________ burned out.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mine — for digging
  3. dip — to sink
  4. capital — a city
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. suit — clothes
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — rain
  9. suit — to fit
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. suit — in cards
  13. bulb — for light
  14. pop — soda
  15. bulb — for light
  16. perch — the fish
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — to visit
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. capital — a big letter
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. capital — money
  24. mine — belonging to me

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