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 116 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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. season — in sport
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ground — crushed
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. suit — in cards
  7. degree — temperature
  8. season — of the year
  9. content — the amount
  10. suit — to fit
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. degree — from a university
  13. stem — to come from
  14. degree — an amount
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. content — happy
  17. ground — a position
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. stem — a stem cell
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. suit — clothes

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