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: roll · ball · dip · file · perch · date · lash · coach

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. roll — a cake
  3. ball — a dance
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. dip — to sink
  9. lash — a whip stroke
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. date — the fruit
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. roll — a list
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. file — a line of people
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. perch — the fish
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. file — a document
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. file — a tool
  24. date — on the calendar

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