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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. fall — to drop
  4. ball — a great time
  5. ground — crushed
  6. fall — to drop
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. wax — for sculpting
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. ball — a dance
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. tube — a container
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. saw — the tool
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fall — the season
  21. wax — to grow
  22. pitch — completely
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. saw — the tool

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