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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The water is too ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. foot — a measure
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. object — to protest
  7. track — a path
  8. scale — in music
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. cold — the Cold War
  11. ground — crushed
  12. cold — not warm
  13. sharp — clever
  14. object — a thing
  15. scale — size or range
  16. cold — an illness
  17. ground — the earth
  18. track — to keep track
  19. ground — a position
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. object — an aim
  24. track — a song

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