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: bass · trunk · chip · pound · ground · bat · key · mark

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. chip — for betting
  3. key — for a lock
  4. bass — low music
  5. pound — a weight
  6. chip — to eat
  7. mark — a grade
  8. key — the most important part
  9. trunk — of a tree
  10. ground — the earth
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. ground — a position
  13. trunk — of a car
  14. mark — a trace
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. bass — the fish
  21. key — in music
  22. bat — the animal
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. ground — crushed

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