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: fall · file · pitcher · cell · dip · prune · temple · wave

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. fall — to drop
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. file — a tool
  9. fall — to drop
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. prune — to trim
  14. cell — a phone
  15. fall — the season
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cell — in biology
  18. prune — to trim
  19. dip — to sink
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. file — a line of people
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. file — a document
  24. wave — with your hand

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