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 · season · scale · shower · snap · lean · drill · chest

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. chest — of your body
  5. scale — in music
  6. lean — thin
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. snap — to click
  9. lean — to bend
  10. shower — rain
  11. drill — the tool
  12. chest — of your body
  13. drill — army training
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. chest — a box
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. shower — to wash
  18. scale — size or range
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. season — in sport
  21. drill — a practice
  22. season — of the year
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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