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 116 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. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. That was ________________ to happen.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. sharp — clever
  3. club — for golf
  4. bound — obliged
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bound — tied together
  7. snap — to click
  8. bark — to shout
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. pitch — completely
  12. club — a group
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. mark — a grade
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. bound — certain
  19. ground — the earth
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. club — for dancing
  23. ground — a position
  24. mark — to pay attention

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