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. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. ground — a position
  3. season — in sport
  4. object — to protest
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. key — for a lock
  7. face — to point toward
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. ground — crushed
  10. object — an aim
  11. ground — the earth
  12. face — to confront
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. face — part of the head
  16. season — of the year
  17. track — to keep track
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. track — a song
  20. drill — the tool
  21. key — the most important part
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. key — in music
  24. track — a path

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