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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. drill — a practice
  4. wake — a trail
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. drill — the tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. lie — to recline
  15. drill — army training
  16. ground — a position
  17. can — to be able to
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. can — a tin
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. can — a tin
  24. cap — of ice

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