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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  24. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. present — the time now
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. staff — a stick
  8. ground — crushed
  9. pitch — a sports field
  10. spell — letters
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. staff — employees
  13. present — there
  14. ground — a position
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. present — a gift
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. wax — to grow
  24. bark — to shout

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