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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. scale — in music
  6. firm — decided
  7. spell — magic
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — the season
  11. firm — a company
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. firm — steady
  15. rush — hurry
  16. ground — the earth
  17. spell — letters
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. ground — crushed
  20. spell — a short time
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. spring — a coil
  24. pass — a permit

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