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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  18. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. ground — the earth
  3. firm — a company
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. cell — a phone
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spell — letters
  11. ground — a position
  12. wound — an injury
  13. staff — employees
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. pitch — completely
  18. firm — decided
  19. cell — in biology
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wound — an injury
  22. firm — steady
  23. spell — magic
  24. mine — an explosive

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