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: fork · key · cap · present · wound · ground · game · mouse

  1. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. game — wild animals
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. present — a gift
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. present — the time now
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. cap — a hat
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. cap — a lid
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. ground — a position
  16. ground — the earth
  17. cap — of ice
  18. present — there
  19. key — the most important part
  20. fork — in a road
  21. game — a match
  22. wound — an injury
  23. wound — an injury
  24. 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