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

Word bank: season · track · bound · rule · pitcher · hide · ground · cold

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The water is too ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. cold — not warm
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bound — certain
  7. ground — the earth
  8. track — a path
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. bound — tied together
  12. ground — a position
  13. ground — crushed
  14. rule — government
  15. cold — the Cold War
  16. cold — an illness
  17. season — of the year
  18. track — to keep track
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. bound — obliged
  22. track — a song
  23. season — in sport
  24. pitcher — a jug

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