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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. spring — a coil
  3. spring — of water
  4. spring — the season
  5. firm — a company
  6. cold — an illness
  7. ground — crushed
  8. face — part of the head
  9. firm — steady
  10. face — to confront
  11. firm — decided
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. fine — all right
  15. ground — the earth
  16. ground — a position
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. mine — belonging to me
  19. fine — high quality
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. face — to point toward
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cold — not warm
  24. chair — a leader

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