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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. track — a song
  3. pop — music
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. root — of a plant
  6. track — a path
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. shower — to wash
  10. bound — certain
  11. root — of a word
  12. ground — the earth
  13. bound — obliged
  14. root — the cause
  15. bound — tied together
  16. pop — to visit
  17. shower — rain
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. ground — a position
  20. pop — soda
  21. fine — all right
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fine — high quality
  24. lie — to recline

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