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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pop — to visit
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. lean — to bend
  6. can — a tin
  7. file — a line of people
  8. track — a song
  9. can — a tin
  10. ground — the earth
  11. rash — a series
  12. rash — hasty
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pop — soda
  15. track — to keep track
  16. file — a tool
  17. track — a path
  18. file — a document
  19. can — to be able to
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. pop — music
  22. lean — thin
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. court — of a king

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