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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. The water is too ________________.
  14. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. firm — decided
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. ground — crushed
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. tube — a container
  7. toast — bread
  8. firm — steady
  9. cold — an illness
  10. firm — a company
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ground — a position
  13. cold — not warm
  14. cold — the Cold War
  15. row — a line
  16. row — a quarrel
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. toast — a drink to someone
  19. row — to paddle
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. tube — the underground
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. plane — a tool

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