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: shower · foot · court · hide · rush · bear · hand · ground

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. ground — a position
  3. rush — hurry
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. hand — in cards
  7. ground — crushed
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. bear — the animal
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. court — of a king
  15. shower — to wash
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — rain
  18. hand — help
  19. bear — the animal
  20. ground — the earth
  21. court — of law
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. foot — part of the body
  24. foot — a measure

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