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: pop · file · dip · pitcher · face · date · ball · tear

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. file — a tool
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. ball — a great time
  6. tear — to rip
  7. dip — to sink
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ball — a dance
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pop — to visit
  13. tear — from crying
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. face — to confront
  17. date — the fruit
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. face — to point toward
  21. tear — from crying
  22. face — part of the head
  23. file — a document
  24. pop — soda

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