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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. ground — a position
  5. sharp — clever
  6. ground — the earth
  7. shower — rain
  8. stand — on your feet
  9. present — the time now
  10. chair — a leader
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. charge — in control
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. shower — to wash
  16. charge — electricity
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. charge — a price
  19. ball — a dance
  20. present — a gift
  21. ground — crushed
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. present — there
  24. stand — to bear

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