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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  7. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The tickets are free of ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. ground — crushed
  4. ground — a position
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. swing — in golf
  7. charge — in control
  8. wind — moving air
  9. deal — to handle
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. charge — a price
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. wind — moving air
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. ground — the earth
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. swing — to play on
  20. charge — electricity
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. swing — music
  24. bowl — to roll

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