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: pound · hand · dip · rock · bowl · drill · mug · last

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. last — final
  4. pound — a weight
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. drill — the tool
  7. drill — a practice
  8. rock — music
  9. mug — a cup
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mug — a face
  13. dip — to sink
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. drill — army training
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — in cards
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. mug — to rob
  20. rock — a stone
  21. last — finally
  22. last — to go on
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. bowl — to roll

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