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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. game — wild animals
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. field — for sport
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. spring — of water
  11. ground — the earth
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. field — farmland
  15. spring — a coil
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spring — the season
  18. game — a match
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. field — a subject
  21. bear — the animal
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. ground — a position
  24. bear — the animal

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