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

Word bank: ground · date · band · fall · nail · pitcher

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. ground — a position
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. ground — the earth
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. band — a music group
  8. fall — to drop
  9. fall — the season
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. date — the fruit
  15. band — a ring
  16. fall — to drop
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. ground — crushed

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