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 116 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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. The ________________ market has crashed.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. dip — to sink
  6. kid — child
  7. mark — a trace
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. kid — to tease
  10. mark — a grade
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stock — goods
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. cell — a phone
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cell — in biology
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stock — a soup base
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. bear — the animal
  23. stock — shares
  24. wave — with your hand

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