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 120 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  4. Have you met the new head ________________?
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. The light ________________ burned out.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. sharp — with an edge
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. ground — crushed
  7. scale — in music
  8. bulb — for light
  9. spring — a coil
  10. pass — a permit
  11. ground — a position
  12. sharp — clever
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. season — of the year
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. spring — the season
  18. bulb — for light
  19. season — in sport
  20. scale — size or range
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. spring — of water
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. bulb — of a plant

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