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. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. race — a contest
  3. race — humankind
  4. court — of a king
  5. track — to keep track
  6. track — a song
  7. lean — thin
  8. court — of law
  9. race — the arms race
  10. lean — to bend
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. court — for sport
  16. sharp — clever
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. perch — the fish
  20. track — a path
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. sharp — exactly

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