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. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. ground — crushed
  3. wound — an injury
  4. mark — a trace
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. pop — to visit
  7. rash — hasty
  8. ground — the earth
  9. rash — on the skin
  10. chest — a box
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. chair — a leader
  13. deal — to handle
  14. mark — a grade
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. pop — music
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. chest — of your body
  20. rash — a series
  21. ground — a position
  22. pop — soda
  23. chest — of your body
  24. chair — to sit on

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