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: mark · cell · bank · foot · dip · tear · spell · sharp

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. spell — magic
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. tear — from crying
  6. cell — in biology
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. dip — to sink
  9. cell — a phone
  10. bank — for money
  11. foot — a measure
  12. spell — a short time
  13. mark — a trace
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. tear — from crying
  16. tear — to rip
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. mark — a grade
  19. bank — of a river
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. bank — for money
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. sharp — clever
  24. spell — letters

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