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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mark · club · game · row · ground · prune

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. ground — the earth
  3. game — wild animals
  4. row — to paddle
  5. mark — a trace
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. prune — to trim
  9. ground — crushed
  10. club — for golf
  11. ground — a position
  12. prune — to trim
  13. game — a match
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. prune — the fruit
  16. club — for dancing
  17. mark — a grade
  18. club — a group

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