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: ball · mark · squash · ground · lie · hide · season · shower

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. season — of the year
  4. squash — to crush
  5. season — in sport
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. ground — a position
  9. mark — a trace
  10. shower — to wash
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. ground — crushed
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. mark — a grade
  18. ball — a great time
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. ball — a dance
  22. lie — to recline
  23. shower — rain
  24. squash — the 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