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: mine · toast · safe · prune · ground · pitch · degree · key

  1. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. degree — an amount
  2. degree — from a university
  3. key — in music
  4. degree — temperature
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. ground — the earth
  7. pitch — completely
  8. ground — crushed
  9. toast — bread
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. mine — an explosive
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. prune — to trim
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. key — the most important part
  19. prune — to trim
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. mine — for digging
  23. key — for a lock
  24. ground — a position

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