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: lie · last · dip · present · perch · pitcher · fan · row

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. last — finally
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. row — to paddle
  13. perch — the fish
  14. row — a line
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. last — to go on
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. last — final
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. present — there
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — a gift

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