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. Did you ________________ the meat?
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. She's very handy with a ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — to add flavour
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — a position
  5. ground — crushed
  6. key — in music
  7. cap — of ice
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. key — for a lock
  10. cap — a lid
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. season — in sport
  15. saw — past of 'see'
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. cap — a hat
  18. roll — a list
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. roll — a cake
  21. saw — the tool
  22. saw — the tool
  23. key — the most important part
  24. season — of the year

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