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 120 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: wound · can · cap · pitch · ground · prune · board · patient

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. can — a tin
  3. board — a committee
  4. prune — to trim
  5. ground — crushed
  6. cap — a lid
  7. board — to get on
  8. cap — a hat
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. can — to be able to
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. prune — to trim
  13. can — a tin
  14. ground — the earth
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. wound — an injury
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. cap — of ice
  22. ground — a position
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. pitch — completely

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