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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  16. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The ________________ market has crashed.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. drill — a practice
  5. lean — thin
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. drill — army training
  8. ground — crushed
  9. cell — a phone
  10. net — in sport
  11. net — for catching
  12. stock — goods
  13. lean — to bend
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. wave — of the sea
  16. stock — a soup base
  17. drill — the tool
  18. stock — shares
  19. ground — a position
  20. cell — in biology
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. net — after costs
  24. lash — a whip stroke

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