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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. ground — the earth
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pound — a weight
  5. ground — a position
  6. pitch — completely
  7. club — for golf
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. mug — to rob
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. mine — for digging
  13. chest — of your body
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. chest — a box
  17. club — for dancing
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. club — a group
  21. ground — crushed
  22. mug — a face
  23. mug — a cup
  24. mine — an explosive

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