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 120 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 speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  12. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — a trail
  2. ground — crushed
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. foot — a measure
  5. cap — a lid
  6. chest — of your body
  7. ground — the earth
  8. ground — a position
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pass — a permit
  11. chest — a box
  12. bark — a dog's sound
  13. cap — a hat
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. spring — the season
  16. bark — to shout
  17. spring — a coil
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. spring — of water
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. cap — of ice
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. foot — part of the body

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