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 · pit · staff · pound · shower · rock · chair · race

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. staff — employees
  3. rock — music
  4. ground — the earth
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. chair — a leader
  7. race — the arms race
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. ground — crushed
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. pit — a fruit stone
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. staff — a stick
  14. staff — employees
  15. shower — to wash
  16. pound — a weight
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. race — a contest
  19. ground — a position
  20. race — humankind
  21. rock — a stone
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pit — a hole

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