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 116 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. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. Did you ________________ the button?
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. track — a path
  3. firm — a company
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. wind — moving air
  6. mug — a face
  7. ground — a position
  8. scale — size or range
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. firm — steady
  11. firm — decided
  12. scale — in music
  13. ground — the earth
  14. track — a song
  15. ground — crushed
  16. press — to push
  17. mug — a cup
  18. wind — moving air
  19. track — to keep track
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. press — newspapers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. press — a publisher
  24. scale — for weighing

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