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. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. court — of a king
  3. sharp — clever
  4. ground — the earth
  5. hand — in cards
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ground — crushed
  8. current — electric
  9. hand — help
  10. court — of law
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. current — happening now
  13. ground — a position
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — of water
  18. sharp — with an edge
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. scale — in music
  22. court — for sport
  23. scale — size or range
  24. lash — to lash out

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