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: dip · spring · ball · pitcher · wax · fall · lie · pound

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. wax — for sculpting
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a great time
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. fall — to drop
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. spring — a coil
  10. wax — to grow
  11. pound — a weight
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. ball — a dance
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. spring — of water
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. fall — the season
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. wax — in the ear
  24. spring — the season

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