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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. jam — a tight spot
  4. spell — a short time
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. stock — shares
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. present — the time now
  9. spell — magic
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. shower — to wash
  12. ground — crushed
  13. present — there
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. stock — goods
  16. spell — letters
  17. toast — bread
  18. shower — rain
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. present — a gift
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. stock — a soup base
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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