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: spell · net · prune · dip · bowl · ruler · lie · pop

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. pop — to visit
  3. spell — magic
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. bowl — a football final
  6. spell — letters
  7. dip — to sink
  8. net — for catching
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pop — music
  13. net — in sport
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. prune — to trim
  17. prune — to trim
  18. ruler — a monarch
  19. pop — soda
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. net — after costs
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. lie — to recline
  24. spell — a short time

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