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 get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. David sat on the ________________.
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. ground — the earth
  4. ground — crushed
  5. court — of a king
  6. pit — in a race
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. object — an aim
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. present — there
  11. object — a thing
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. swing — in golf
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. swing — music
  18. present — the time now
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. ground — a position
  21. swing — to play on
  22. pit — a hole
  23. straw — dry grass
  24. object — to protest

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