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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spring — a coil
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. ground — the earth
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. spell — magic
  8. key — for a lock
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. pass — a permit
  12. kid — to tease
  13. spell — a short time
  14. kid — child
  15. spring — the season
  16. fall — to drop
  17. sharp — clever
  18. spring — of water
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. key — in music
  21. key — the most important part
  22. fall — the season
  23. ground — a position
  24. ground — crushed

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