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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. scale — size or range
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. hand — help
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. lie — to recline
  7. lean — thin
  8. hand — in cards
  9. lean — to bend
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. swing — music
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — the earth
  16. swing — in golf
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. scale — in music
  22. perch — the fish
  23. swing — to play on
  24. wave — with your hand

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