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 116 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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  7. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ground — a position
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tear — from crying
  5. tear — to rip
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. rest — a break
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. rest — what's left
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pop — music
  13. pop — soda
  14. pop — to visit
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. stock — goods
  17. cell — a phone
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. cell — in biology
  22. stock — shares
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. tear — from crying

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