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 116 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: ground · pop · scale · cap · tear · saw · rush · racket

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. You don't need to ________________ round.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pop — music
  4. tear — to rip
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. pop — to visit
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. cap — of ice
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. saw — the tool
  14. ground — a position
  15. saw — the tool
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. ground — crushed
  18. scale — size or range
  19. tear — from crying
  20. pop — soda
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. rush — hurry
  23. tear — from crying
  24. scale — in music

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