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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. mine — for digging
  4. ground — crushed
  5. ground — a position
  6. cap — a lid
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. court — of a king
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. sharp — clever
  13. ground — the earth
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. cap — a hat
  16. face — to point toward
  17. court — of law
  18. face — to confront
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. court — for sport
  21. face — part of the head
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. cap — of ice

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