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. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  22. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. ground — the earth
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. ground — a position
  5. key — for a lock
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. mark — a trace
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. mark — a grade
  10. pitch — completely
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. key — the most important part
  13. suit — in cards
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. pit — a hole
  16. suit — clothes
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. suit — to fit
  20. key — in music
  21. bark — to shout
  22. foot — part of the body
  23. pit — in a race
  24. pitch — a sports field

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