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 · foot · deal · bark · cold · cap · trunk · fine

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. deal — to handle
  3. cap — of ice
  4. fine — all right
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cold — not warm
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. foot — a measure
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. fine — high quality
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. cold — an illness
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. bark — to shout
  23. bark — of a tree
  24. cap — a lid

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