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 120 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 · ground · row · sharp · tear · chip · bass · chest

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ground — crushed
  4. chest — a box
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. chip — for betting
  7. sharp — clever
  8. chip — to eat
  9. tear — from crying
  10. tear — to rip
  11. chest — of your body
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. tear — from crying
  15. ball — a great time
  16. row — to paddle
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. chest — of your body
  19. ball — a dance
  20. row — a line
  21. ground — a position
  22. bass — low music
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. bass — the fish

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