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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. bowl — a football final
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bear — the animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bear — to put up with
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. cue — a hint
  11. ground — a position
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mug — a face
  14. cue — for pool
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bear — the animal
  17. shower — rain
  18. foot — a measure
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. mug — to rob
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mine — for digging
  23. cue — a signal
  24. foot — the bottom

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