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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. pop — music
  3. ground — a position
  4. hand — in cards
  5. ground — the earth
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. ground — crushed
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. pop — soda
  11. suit — to fit
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. spell — a short time
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — letters
  18. suit — in cards
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. pop — to visit
  22. spell — magic
  23. hand — help
  24. mine — for digging

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