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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  24. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rush — hurry
  3. rule — a law
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. march — music
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. rule — government
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. march — the month
  10. lie — to recline
  11. perch — the fish
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. dip — to sink
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. sharp — clever
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. march — the month
  23. straw — to clutch at straws
  24. perch — for a bird

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