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. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. scale — size or range
  3. ground — crushed
  4. wake — a trail
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. rest — what's left
  7. dip — to sink
  8. scale — in music
  9. cold — not warm
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. cap — a hat
  12. ground — the earth
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. rest — a break
  16. cap — a lid
  17. rest — what's left
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. ground — a position
  21. cap — of ice
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. rush — hurry
  24. cold — an illness

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