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: content · spell · pass · dip · cold · root · pop · bat

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. spell — magic
  3. pop — soda
  4. bat — the animal
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cold — an illness
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. root — of a word
  9. content — happy
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. spell — letters
  12. cold — not warm
  13. root — the cause
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. bat — for baseball
  18. pop — music
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pass — a permit
  22. root — of a plant
  23. content — the amount
  24. pop — to visit

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