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. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ground — a position
  4. pit — in a race
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. object — an aim
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. can — a tin
  9. prune — to trim
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. can — a tin
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. can — to be able to
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. prune — to trim
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. ground — the earth
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. ground — crushed
  23. object — a thing
  24. object — to protest

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