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: staff · ground · pitcher · pop · pound · press · nail · present

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Did you ________________ the button?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  22. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. pop — to visit
  3. press — a publisher
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. ground — crushed
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. present — there
  14. pop — music
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. present — the time now
  17. pop — soda
  18. press — to push
  19. present — a gift
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. press — newspapers
  22. staff — a stick
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. pound — a weight

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