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 · dip · scale · spring · pit · hide · ground · staff

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  24. Hard work is the ________________ to success.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. dip — to sink
  3. ground — a position
  4. staff — employees
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. ground — the earth
  7. key — in music
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — of water
  10. ground — crushed
  11. staff — employees
  12. scale — size or range
  13. staff — a stick
  14. scale — in music
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. key — for a lock
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. pit — a hole
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. pit — in a race
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. spring — the season
  23. spring — a coil
  24. key — the most important part

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