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: tear · board · date · kid · jam · pop · scale · ground

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. scale — size or range
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. scale — in music
  6. pop — music
  7. tear — from crying
  8. pop — to visit
  9. tear — from crying
  10. ground — the earth
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. board — to get on
  13. date — the fruit
  14. board — a committee
  15. tear — to rip
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. ground — a position
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. kid — to tease
  22. kid — child
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. pop — soda

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