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: cap · land · ground · fine · temple · row · pound · bowl

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. cap — of ice
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. fine — all right
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. ground — crushed
  10. ground — the earth
  11. land — to come down
  12. cap — a hat
  13. cap — a lid
  14. ground — a position
  15. land — ground
  16. row — a line
  17. pound — a weight
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. land — a country
  22. fine — high quality
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. row — to paddle

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