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: pit · stick · dip · shower · degree · field · hide · march

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. march — music
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. march — the month
  6. degree — temperature
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pit — a hole
  9. field — a subject
  10. shower — to wash
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. dip — to sink
  13. field — farmland
  14. field — for sport
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. pit — in a race
  17. shower — rain
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. degree — an amount
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. degree — from a university

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