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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. shower — rain
  3. cell — in biology
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. cell — a phone
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. tube — a container
  11. tube — the underground
  12. board — a committee
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. fall — to drop
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fall — the season
  19. board — to get on
  20. fall — to drop
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ground — the earth
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. perch — the fish

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