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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The ________________ market has crashed.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. sharp — clever
  3. ground — crushed
  4. court — of law
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. stock — goods
  8. ground — a position
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rest — what's left
  11. court — of a king
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. ground — the earth
  14. stock — shares
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rest — what's left
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. rest — a break
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. court — for sport
  23. suit — to fit
  24. suit — 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