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: rock · mug · spell · ground · lean · hide · degree · bank

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. ground — the earth
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rock — music
  5. degree — an amount
  6. bank — for money
  7. degree — temperature
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. ground — crushed
  10. spell — letters
  11. mug — a face
  12. bank — of a river
  13. spell — magic
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. lean — to bend
  17. degree — from a university
  18. lean — thin
  19. spell — a short time
  20. rock — a stone
  21. bank — for money
  22. mug — to rob
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. lean — to rest against

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