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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  14. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. key — the most important part
  3. ground — the earth
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. lie — to recline
  6. march — the month
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. key — in music
  11. ground — a position
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. tear — from crying
  14. fan — to cool the air
  15. fine — all right
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. key — for a lock
  18. march — music
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. fine — high quality
  21. tear — from crying
  22. tear — to rip
  23. march — the month
  24. patient — a sick person

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