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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. scale — size or range
  3. march — the month
  4. ground — a position
  5. fall — to drop
  6. scale — in music
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rock — music
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. march — music
  15. dip — to sink
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — the season
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fall — to drop
  21. march — the month
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. calf — of the leg

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