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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. rash — a series
  3. rash — hasty
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. ground — the earth
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. cap — of ice
  9. game — a match
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cap — a lid
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. ground — crushed
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. chest — of your body
  16. cap — a hat
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ground — a position
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. rash — on the skin
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fork — in a road
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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