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: mine · stick · row · cell · rock · pound · dip · key

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  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. rock — music
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. mine — for digging
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. rock — a stone
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. row — to paddle
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. key — the most important part
  16. dip — to sink
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. key — in music
  19. row — a line
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. pound — a weight
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. cell — in biology
  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