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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bowl · net · bound · cap · kid · bay · drill · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ball hit the back of the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. kid — child
  4. drill — a practice
  5. bound — tied together
  6. cap — of ice
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. cap — a lid
  10. ground — the earth
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. net — for catching
  13. cap — a hat
  14. bound — obliged
  15. drill — army training
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. drill — the tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. bound — certain
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. kid — to tease
  23. ground — a position
  24. net — in sport

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