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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. ground — the earth
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. pop — soda
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ground — a position
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. drill — the tool
  11. scale — in music
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. ground — crushed
  14. firm — a company
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. drill — army training
  17. drill — a practice
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. firm — decided
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. pop — to visit
  22. firm — steady
  23. pitch — completely
  24. pop — music

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