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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. You don't need to ________________ round.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. hand — in cards
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. ground — a position
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. ground — the earth
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. pop — soda
  9. land — to come down
  10. bulb — of a plant
  11. pop — music
  12. ground — crushed
  13. bulb — for light
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. hand — help
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pop — to visit
  19. land — a country
  20. bulb — for light
  21. land — ground
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — rain

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