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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. file — a line of people
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. can — a tin
  5. wound — an injury
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. file — a document
  10. degree — from a university
  11. dip — to sink
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. file — a tool
  14. lie — to recline
  15. toast — bread
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. can — a tin
  18. wound — past of 'wind'
  19. wound — an injury
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. can — to be able to
  22. degree — temperature
  23. degree — an amount
  24. toast — the most admired

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