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: ball · ground · key · land · foot · lie · bat · present

  1. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. ground — crushed
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. key — the most important part
  5. lie — to recline
  6. foot — a measure
  7. ground — a position
  8. land — ground
  9. key — for a lock
  10. key — in music
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a great time
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. ground — the earth
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. land — to come down
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. present — there
  20. present — a gift
  21. present — the time now
  22. bat — the animal
  23. land — a country
  24. lie — an untruth

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