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. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. rock — music
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. present — a gift
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rash — a series
  9. deal — to handle
  10. content — the amount
  11. rock — a stone
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. root — the cause
  14. rash — hasty
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. content — happy
  17. ground — crushed
  18. present — the time now
  19. root — of a plant
  20. root — of a word
  21. rush — hurry
  22. ground — a position
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. present — there

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