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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. The water is too ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. cold — an illness
  4. fall — to drop
  5. key — in music
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. can — to be able to
  8. present — the time now
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. ground — crushed
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. present — there
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. present — a gift
  16. key — the most important part
  17. cold — not warm
  18. ground — a position
  19. fall — the season
  20. key — for a lock
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. fall — to drop

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