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: file · land · rush · dip · board · bowl · snap · rash

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  21. When are we going to ________________?
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. rush — hurry
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. land — ground
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. file — a line of people
  10. file — a document
  11. snap — to click
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. board — to get on
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rash — hasty
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. land — a country
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. file — a tool
  21. land — to come down
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. rash — a series
  24. board — a committee

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