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. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. charge — in control
  3. land — a country
  4. ground — a position
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. scale — in music
  7. ground — crushed
  8. charge — a price
  9. land — ground
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. track — a path
  14. fork — in a road
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. track — a song
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. track — to keep track
  19. hand — help
  20. land — to come down
  21. charge — electricity
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. scale — size or range
  24. hand — in cards

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