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. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  15. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ground — crushed
  5. file — a document
  6. present — the time now
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. ground — the earth
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. present — a gift
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. wind — to turn a key
  13. wind — moving air
  14. row — to paddle
  15. file — a line of people
  16. wind — moving air
  17. file — a tool
  18. bear — the animal
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. present — there
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. ground — a position
  23. kick — in football
  24. bear — to put up with

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