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 120 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: dip · rash · stick · bank · trunk · face · clip · can

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. rash — hasty
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. face — part of the head
  5. clip — to cut
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. bank — of a river
  9. can — a tin
  10. bank — for money
  11. bank — for money
  12. rash — a series
  13. can — a tin
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. trunk — of an elephant
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. clip — for paper
  18. face — to point toward
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. dip — to sink
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. face — to confront
  23. clip — a video
  24. can — to be able to

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