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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. vault — a safe
  7. present — the time now
  8. mine — for digging
  9. pitch — completely
  10. vault — in gymnastics
  11. ground — a position
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. ground — the earth
  14. present — a gift
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. rule — government
  20. bark — to shout
  21. rule — a law
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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