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: sharp · mouse · cold · bear · ball · lie · dip · pop

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. sharp — clever
  7. dip — to sink
  8. lie — to recline
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. bear — the animal
  11. pop — soda
  12. pop — to visit
  13. pop — music
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. cold — not warm
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. bear — the animal

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