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 116 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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. hand — in cards
  3. staff — a stick
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. hand — help
  6. ball — a dance
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. object — a thing
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. object — to protest
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ground — a position
  15. kid — child
  16. perch — the fish
  17. staff — employees
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. staff — employees
  20. ball — a great time
  21. object — an aim
  22. kid — to tease
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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