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. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. ground — crushed
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. degree — temperature
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. can — to be able to
  8. bulb — for light
  9. wound — an injury
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. degree — an amount
  13. ground — a position
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. degree — from a university
  17. bulb — for light
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wound — an injury
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. can — a tin
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. lie — to recline

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