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. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to spend time
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. ground — a position
  6. mine — for digging
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ground — crushed
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. snap — to click
  12. pass — a permit
  13. capital — a city
  14. spring — the season
  15. cell — a phone
  16. capital — money
  17. rash — a series
  18. cell — in biology
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. spring — of water
  21. rash — hasty
  22. capital — a big letter
  23. spring — a coil
  24. mine — belonging to me

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