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: firm · wound · pitcher · swing · mark · mug · ground · kid

  1. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Where did you ________________ them?
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. David sat on the ________________.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. There's no middle ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. swing — music
  4. wound — past of 'wind'
  5. firm — decided
  6. wound — an injury
  7. mug — to rob
  8. kid — to tease
  9. mug — a cup
  10. kid — child
  11. mark — a grade
  12. swing — to play on
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. ground — a position
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. mark — a trace
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. ground — crushed
  19. swing — in golf
  20. mug — a face
  21. firm — a company
  22. firm — steady
  23. wound — an injury
  24. pitcher — a jug

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