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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  10. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. ground — a position
  6. lean — to bend
  7. ground — the earth
  8. cue — a hint
  9. wound — past of 'wind'
  10. wound — an injury
  11. scale — in music
  12. scale — size or range
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. cue — a signal
  15. band — a ring
  16. wound — an injury
  17. cue — for pool
  18. pitch — a sports field
  19. lean — thin
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. deal — to handle
  22. band — a music group
  23. pitch — completely
  24. ground — crushed

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