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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ground — a position
  4. game — a match
  5. chip — to eat
  6. ground — the earth
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. fine — high quality
  10. chip — for betting
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. fine — all right
  13. game — wild animals
  14. root — the cause
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. foot — a measure
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. root — of a word
  23. root — of a plant
  24. perch — the fish

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