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: dip · nail · kick · mate · cold · bass · perch · craft

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. kick — in football
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. craft — a skill
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. cold — not warm
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. dip — to sink
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. bass — the fish
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. mate — a partner
  13. mate — a friend
  14. craft — boats
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. mate — to breed
  18. cold — an illness
  19. perch — the fish
  20. bass — low music
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. dip — a sauce

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