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. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. track — a path
  7. hand — in cards
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. ground — crushed
  10. tear — to rip
  11. mug — to rob
  12. cold — not warm
  13. tear — from crying
  14. ground — a position
  15. track — a song
  16. mug — a face
  17. hand — help
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. pit — in a race
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. track — to keep track
  22. cold — an illness
  23. mug — a cup
  24. tear — from crying

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