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 124 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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. ground — the earth
  4. face — part of the head
  5. row — to paddle
  6. face — to point toward
  7. face — to confront
  8. spring — a coil
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spring — of water
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a document
  14. vault — a safe
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. vault — in gymnastics
  17. spring — the season
  18. file — a tool
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. row — a line
  21. bore — to drill
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. row — a quarrel
  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