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. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  16. Have you settled on a ________________?
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. net — in sport
  2. ground — a position
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. net — for catching
  7. cell — a phone
  8. spring — the season
  9. deal — to handle
  10. ground — the earth
  11. spring — a coil
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. ground — crushed
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. fall — to drop
  16. date — on the calendar
  17. date — the fruit
  18. fall — the season
  19. spring — of water
  20. fall — to drop
  21. net — after costs
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cell — in biology
  24. deal — a big deal

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