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. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. file — a line of people
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. court — for sport
  6. file — a tool
  7. court — of law
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. cue — a signal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. cue — for pool
  13. court — of a king
  14. saw — the tool
  15. ground — crushed
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. ground — the earth
  18. saw — the tool
  19. pitch — completely
  20. ground — a position
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cue — a hint
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. file — a document

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