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 120 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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  11. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. ground — crushed
  3. kick — in football
  4. ground — the earth
  5. kick — a thrill
  6. cap — a lid
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. stem — a stem cell
  11. stem — to come from
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cap — of ice
  18. cap — a hat
  19. ground — a position
  20. spell — a short time
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. spell — letters
  23. pitch — completely
  24. spell — magic

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