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 116 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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  4. ground — the earth
  5. net — for catching
  6. squash — to crush
  7. ground — a position
  8. charge — in control
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. charge — electricity
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — thin
  13. cell — a phone
  14. charge — a price
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. cell — in biology
  17. face — part of the head
  18. net — after costs
  19. squash — the sport
  20. face — to point toward
  21. face — to confront
  22. kid — to tease
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. net — in sport

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