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 116 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 · coach · track · current · game · ground · cap · spell

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ground — a position
  4. track — to keep track
  5. current — of water
  6. track — a path
  7. spell — letters
  8. game — a match
  9. ground — crushed
  10. cap — a hat
  11. spell — magic
  12. game — a kind of play
  13. spell — a short time
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. game — wild animals
  20. current — electric
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ground — the earth
  23. current — happening now
  24. track — a song

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