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 120 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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. That was a fun ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. cue — a hint
  3. game — a match
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. mate — to breed
  7. ground — crushed
  8. cue — a signal
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mate — a partner
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mate — a friend
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cue — for pool
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. foot — a measure
  22. drill — the tool
  23. drill — a practice
  24. ground — a position

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