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. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pop — soda
  3. face — to confront
  4. ground — crushed
  5. can — to be able to
  6. can — a tin
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. face — part of the head
  10. pop — music
  11. wake — a trail
  12. face — to point toward
  13. file — a tool
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. file — a line of people
  19. pop — to visit
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. file — a document
  24. can — a tin

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