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: shower · file · dip · ball · mug · stem · toast · land

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. file — a document
  3. mug — a cup
  4. stem — to come from
  5. toast — bread
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to sink
  8. file — a tool
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. shower — rain
  11. land — a country
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. file — a line of people
  16. shower — to wash
  17. ball — a great time
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. land — ground
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. mug — a face
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. mug — to rob
  24. land — to come down

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