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. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. ground — the earth
  4. rock — a stone
  5. ground — crushed
  6. last — to go on
  7. rock — music
  8. staff — a stick
  9. staff — employees
  10. current — of water
  11. staff — employees
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. craft — a skill
  15. current — happening now
  16. craft — boats
  17. current — electric
  18. craft — a handicraft
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. last — final
  21. pitch — completely
  22. bat — in an idiom
  23. ground — a position
  24. bat — the animal

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