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: stick · dip · ground · stem · bowl · kid · season · foot

  1. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. dip — to sink
  3. kid — to tease
  4. stem — to come from
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. ground — the earth
  8. season — in sport
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. ground — a position
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. stem — a stem cell
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stick — to attach or keep to
  17. ground — crushed
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. kid — child
  22. season — of the year
  23. foot — a measure
  24. foot — the bottom

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