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. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. ground — crushed
  3. stem — to come from
  4. tear — to rip
  5. ground — the earth
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. stem — a stem cell
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. firm — steady
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. tear — from crying
  13. jam — a tight spot
  14. rule — government
  15. ground — a position
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. shower — rain
  18. rule — a law
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. firm — decided
  22. shower — to wash
  23. tear — from crying
  24. firm — a company

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