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. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. court — for sport
  4. ground — a position
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. charge — in control
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. bore — to tire
  9. court — of law
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. court — of a king
  12. ground — the earth
  13. pit — in a race
  14. stand — to bear
  15. wound — past of 'wind'
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. bore — to drill
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pit — a hole
  20. charge — a price
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bark — to shout
  23. charge — electricity
  24. wound — an injury

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