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 116 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 · pitch · wound · ground · nail · last · bark · patient

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. wound — an injury
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. ground — crushed
  9. last — finally
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. ball — a great time
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. last — to go on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. last — final
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bark — to shout
  20. wound — past of 'wind'
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pitch — completely
  24. bark — of a tree

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