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 little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The ________________ went through the wall.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. key — for a lock
  5. key — in music
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. ground — the earth
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. game — wild animals
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. key — the most important part
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. kid — child
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. game — a match
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. game — a kind of play

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