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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  18. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. face — to confront
  5. ground — a position
  6. wax — for sculpting
  7. race — the arms race
  8. mark — a trace
  9. ground — crushed
  10. wax — in the ear
  11. bore — to tire
  12. face — to point toward
  13. bore — to drill
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. face — part of the head
  17. race — humankind
  18. wax — to grow
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. deal — to handle
  23. mark — a grade
  24. race — a contest

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