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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  17. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. present — the time now
  3. bat — the animal
  4. ground — the earth
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. swing — music
  7. present — a gift
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. swing — in golf
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. present — there
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. bark — a dog's sound
  17. craft — boats
  18. court — of law
  19. swing — to play on
  20. craft — a skill
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. bark — to shout
  24. ground — a position

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