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. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He works in a ________________ mill.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. club — for dancing
  3. mate — to breed
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. dip — to sink
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. club — for golf
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mate — a friend
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. mate — a partner
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — a group
  23. saw — the tool
  24. saw — the tool

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