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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. land — to come down
  3. pop — to visit
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. ground — crushed
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. mug — a cup
  11. pop — music
  12. ground — the earth
  13. mug — to rob
  14. key — the most important part
  15. mug — a face
  16. key — for a lock
  17. key — in music
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. shower — rain
  21. shower — to wash
  22. ground — a position
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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