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: key · craft · content · dip · foot · season · hand · ground

  1. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  3. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. There's no middle ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. This piece is in a major ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. hand — part of the body
  3. hand — help
  4. dip — to sink
  5. season — in sport
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. craft — a skill
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ground — a position
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. key — in music
  12. craft — boats
  13. foot — a measure
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. key — for a lock
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. hand — in cards
  22. ground — crushed
  23. content — happy
  24. ground — the earth

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