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: rock · kid · dip · hand · last · jam · wake · lean

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. kid — child
  3. wake — before a funeral
  4. wake — a trail
  5. hand — help
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. lean — thin
  8. last — finally
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. hand — in cards
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. last — to go on
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. dip — to sink
  21. rock — a stone
  22. lean — to bend
  23. rock — music
  24. last — final

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