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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. season — of the year
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. deal — to handle
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. rush — hurry
  10. stem — to come from
  11. ground — crushed
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bass — the fish
  14. ball — a dance
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. bass — low music
  18. stem — of a plant
  19. season — in sport
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. ball — a great time
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. deal — a big deal

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