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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pitcher · track · wave · ball · date · lean · wound · dip

  1. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to bend
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. date — the fruit
  4. dip — to sink
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. ball — a dance
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. track — a song
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. track — a path
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. wound — an injury
  18. lean — thin
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. ball — a great time
  23. wound — an injury
  24. track — to keep track

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