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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. rash — a series
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. foot — the bottom
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. sharp — clever
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. rash — hasty
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. rest — a break
  21. foot — a measure
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. rest — what's left
  24. rest — what's left

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