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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fork — in a road
  7. roll — a list
  8. root — the cause
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. season — of the year
  14. snap — to click
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. roll — a cake
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. root — of a word
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. season — in sport
  23. root — of a plant
  24. dip — a sauce

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