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. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lie — to recline
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. ground — a position
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. ground — crushed
  8. fine — high quality
  9. spell — a short time
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. spell — magic
  13. kid — to tease
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. field — farmland
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. kid — child
  18. can — a tin
  19. can — a tin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. can — to be able to
  22. ground — the earth
  23. fine — all right
  24. fine — a penalty

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